CVE-2025-39944 — octeontx2-pf: Fix use-after-free bugs in otx2_sync_tstamp()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: octeontx2-pf: Fix use-after-free bugs in otx2_sync_tstamp() The original code relies on cancel_delayed_work() in otx2_ptp_destroy(), which does not ensure that the delayed work item synctstamp_work has fully completed if it was already running. This leads to use-after-free scenarios where otx2_ptp is deallocated by otx2_ptp_destroy(), while synctstamp_work remains active and attempts to dereference otx2_ptp in otx2_sync_tstamp(). Furthermore, the synctstamp_work is cyclic, the likelihood of triggering the bug is nonnegligible. A typical race condition is illustrated below: CPU 0 (cleanup) | CPU 1 (delayed work callback) otx2_remove() | otx2_ptp_destroy() | otx2_sync_tstamp() cancel_delayed_work() | kfree(ptp) | | ptp = container_of(...); //UAF | ptp-> //UAF This is confirmed by a KASAN report: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 Write of size 8 at addr ffff88800aa09a18 by task bash/136 ... Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack_lvl+0x55/0x70 print_report+0xcf/0x610 ? __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 kasan_report+0xb8/0xf0 ? __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 __run_timer_base.part.0+0x7d7/0x8c0 ? __pfx___run_timer_base.part.0+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_read_tsc+0x10/0x10 ? ktime_get+0x60/0x140 ? lapic_next_event+0x11/0x20 ? clockevents_program_event+0x1d4/0x2a0 run_timer_softirq+0xd1/0x190 handle_softirqs+0x16a/0x550 irq_exit_rcu+0xaf/0xe0 sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x70/0x80 </IRQ> ... Allocated by task 1: kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0x7f/0x90 otx2_ptp_init+0xb1/0x860 otx2_probe+0x4eb/0xc30 local_pci_probe+0xdc/0x190 pci_device_probe+0x2fe/0x470 really_probe+0x1ca/0x5c0 __driver_probe_device+0x248/0x310 driver_probe_device+0x44/0x120 __driver_attach+0xd2/0x310 bus_for_each_dev+0xed/0x170 bus_add_driver+0x208/0x500 driver_register+0x132/0x460 do_one_initcall+0x89/0x300 kernel_init_freeable+0x40d/0x720 kernel_init+0x1a/0x150 ret_from_fork+0x10c/0x1a0 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Freed by task 136: kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3a/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x3f/0x50 kfree+0x137/0x370 otx2_ptp_destroy+0x38/0x80 otx2_remove+0x10d/0x4c0 pci_device_remove+0xa6/0x1d0 device_release_driver_internal+0xf8/0x210 pci_stop_bus_device+0x105/0x150 pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device_locked+0x15/0x30 remove_store+0xcc/0xe0 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x2c3/0x440 vfs_write+0x871/0xd70 ksys_write+0xee/0x1c0 do_syscall_64+0xac/0x280 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f ... Replace cancel_delayed_work() with cancel_delayed_work_sync() to ensure that the delayed work item is properly canceled before the otx2_ptp is deallocated. This bug was initially identified through static analysis. To reproduce and test it, I simulated the OcteonTX2 PCI device in QEMU and introduced artificial delays within the otx2_sync_tstamp() function to increase the likelihood of triggering the bug.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 2958d17a898416c6193431676f6130b68a2cb9fc and < 2786879aebf363806a13d41e8d5f99202ddd23d9≥ 2958d17a898416c6193431676f6130b68a2cb9fc and < d2cfefa14ce8137b17f99683f968bebf134b6a48≥ 2958d17a898416c6193431676f6130b68a2cb9fc and < ff27e23b311fed4d25e3852e27ba693416d4c7b3≥ 2958d17a898416c6193431676f6130b68a2cb9fc and < 5ca20bb7b4bde72110c3ae78423cbfdd0157aa36≥ 2958d17a898416c6193431676f6130b68a2cb9fc and < f8b4687151021db61841af983f1cb7be6915d4efversion 6.1 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
≥ 6.1 and < 6.1.154≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.108≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.49≥ 6.13 and < 6.16.9version 6.17-rc1version 6.17-rc2version 6.17-rc3version 6.17-rc4 and 2 moreversion 6.17-rc5version 6.17-rc6 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
7 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2786879aebf363806a13d41e8d5f99202ddd23d9
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ca20bb7b4bde72110c3ae78423cbfdd0157aa36
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8b4687151021db61841af983f1cb7be6915d4ef
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2cfefa14ce8137b17f99683f968bebf134b6a48
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff27e23b311fed4d25e3852e27ba693416d4c7b3
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-63mr-vmpc-c5r9
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-39944
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 15h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 15h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2025-39944 is "octeontx2-pf: Fix use-after-free bugs in otx2_sync_tstamp()", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.15% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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