GHSA-9JVJ-XHWX-W88X
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-09-23 06:30 – Updated: 2026-01-16 21:30In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
kernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released
A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in the PSI (Pressure Stall Information) monitoring mechanism:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140 Read of size 8 at addr ffff3de3d50bd308 by task systemd/1
psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140 cgroup_pressure_poll+0x70/0xa0 cgroup_file_poll+0x8c/0x100 kernfs_fop_poll+0x11c/0x1c0 ep_item_poll.isra.0+0x188/0x2c0
Allocated by task 1: cgroup_file_open+0x88/0x388 kernfs_fop_open+0x73c/0xaf0 do_dentry_open+0x5fc/0x1200 vfs_open+0xa0/0x3f0 do_open+0x7e8/0xd08 path_openat+0x2fc/0x6b0 do_filp_open+0x174/0x368
Freed by task 8462: cgroup_file_release+0x130/0x1f8 kernfs_drain_open_files+0x17c/0x440 kernfs_drain+0x2dc/0x360 kernfs_show+0x1b8/0x288 cgroup_file_show+0x150/0x268 cgroup_pressure_write+0x1dc/0x340 cgroup_file_write+0x274/0x548
Reproduction Steps: 1. Open test/cpu.pressure and establish epoll monitoring 2. Disable monitoring: echo 0 > test/cgroup.pressure 3. Re-enable monitoring: echo 1 > test/cgroup.pressure
The race condition occurs because: 1. When cgroup.pressure is disabled (echo 0 > cgroup.pressure), it: - Releases PSI triggers via cgroup_file_release() - Frees of->priv through kernfs_drain_open_files() 2. While epoll still holds reference to the file and continues polling 3. Re-enabling (echo 1 > cgroup.pressure) accesses freed of->priv
epolling disable/enable cgroup.pressure fd=open(cpu.pressure) while(1) ... epoll_wait kernfs_fop_poll kernfs_get_active = true echo 0 > cgroup.pressure ... cgroup_file_show kernfs_show // inactive kn kernfs_drain_open_files cft->release(of); kfree(ctx); ... kernfs_get_active = false echo 1 > cgroup.pressure kernfs_show kernfs_activate_one(kn); kernfs_fop_poll kernfs_get_active = true cgroup_file_poll psi_trigger_poll // UAF ... end: close(fd)
To address this issue, introduce kernfs_get_active_of() for kernfs open files to obtain active references. This function will fail if the open file has been released. Replace kernfs_get_active() with kernfs_get_active_of() to prevent further operations on released file descriptors.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-39881"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-416"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-09-23T06:15:47Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nkernfs: Fix UAF in polling when open file is released\n\nA use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified in the PSI (Pressure\nStall Information) monitoring mechanism:\n\nBUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in psi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140\nRead of size 8 at addr ffff3de3d50bd308 by task systemd/1\n\npsi_trigger_poll+0x3c/0x140\ncgroup_pressure_poll+0x70/0xa0\ncgroup_file_poll+0x8c/0x100\nkernfs_fop_poll+0x11c/0x1c0\nep_item_poll.isra.0+0x188/0x2c0\n\nAllocated by task 1:\ncgroup_file_open+0x88/0x388\nkernfs_fop_open+0x73c/0xaf0\ndo_dentry_open+0x5fc/0x1200\nvfs_open+0xa0/0x3f0\ndo_open+0x7e8/0xd08\npath_openat+0x2fc/0x6b0\ndo_filp_open+0x174/0x368\n\nFreed by task 8462:\ncgroup_file_release+0x130/0x1f8\nkernfs_drain_open_files+0x17c/0x440\nkernfs_drain+0x2dc/0x360\nkernfs_show+0x1b8/0x288\ncgroup_file_show+0x150/0x268\ncgroup_pressure_write+0x1dc/0x340\ncgroup_file_write+0x274/0x548\n\nReproduction Steps:\n1. Open test/cpu.pressure and establish epoll monitoring\n2. Disable monitoring: echo 0 \u003e test/cgroup.pressure\n3. Re-enable monitoring: echo 1 \u003e test/cgroup.pressure\n\nThe race condition occurs because:\n1. When cgroup.pressure is disabled (echo 0 \u003e cgroup.pressure), it:\n - Releases PSI triggers via cgroup_file_release()\n - Frees of-\u003epriv through kernfs_drain_open_files()\n2. While epoll still holds reference to the file and continues polling\n3. Re-enabling (echo 1 \u003e cgroup.pressure) accesses freed of-\u003epriv\n\nepolling\t\t\tdisable/enable cgroup.pressure\nfd=open(cpu.pressure)\nwhile(1)\n...\nepoll_wait\nkernfs_fop_poll\nkernfs_get_active = true\techo 0 \u003e cgroup.pressure\n...\t\t\t\tcgroup_file_show\n\t\t\t\tkernfs_show\n\t\t\t\t// inactive kn\n\t\t\t\tkernfs_drain_open_files\n\t\t\t\tcft-\u003erelease(of);\n\t\t\t\tkfree(ctx);\n\t\t\t\t...\nkernfs_get_active = false\n\t\t\t\techo 1 \u003e cgroup.pressure\n\t\t\t\tkernfs_show\n\t\t\t\tkernfs_activate_one(kn);\nkernfs_fop_poll\nkernfs_get_active = true\ncgroup_file_poll\npsi_trigger_poll\n// UAF\n...\nend: close(fd)\n\nTo address this issue, introduce kernfs_get_active_of() for kernfs open\nfiles to obtain active references. This function will fail if the open file\nhas been released. Replace kernfs_get_active() with kernfs_get_active_of()\nto prevent further operations on released file descriptors.",
"id": "GHSA-9jvj-xhwx-w88x",
"modified": "2026-01-16T21:30:27Z",
"published": "2025-09-23T06:30:28Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-39881"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34d9cafd469c69ad85e6a36b4303c78382cf5c79"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c9ba2777d6c86025e1ba4186dc5cd930e40ec5f"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e64474aba78d240f7804f48f2d454dcca78b15f"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/854baafc00c433cccbe0ab4231b77aeb9b637b77"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac5cda4fae8818cf1963317bb699f7f2f85b60af"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
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