CVE Intelligence
Medium

CVE-2025-39953 — cgroup: split cgroup_destroy_wq into 3 workqueues

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cgroup: split cgroup_destroy_wq into 3 workqueues A hung task can occur during [1] LTP cgroup testing when repeatedly mounting/unmounting perf_event and net_prio controllers with systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1. The hang manifests in cgroup_lock_and_drain_offline() during root destruction. Related case: cgroup_fj_function_perf_event cgroup_fj_function.sh perf_event cgroup_fj_function_net_prio cgroup_fj_function.sh net_prio Call Trace: cgroup_lock_and_drain_offline+0x14c/0x1e8 cgroup_destroy_root+0x3c/0x2c0 css_free_rwork_fn+0x248/0x338 process_one_work+0x16c/0x3b8 worker_thread+0x22c/0x3b0 kthread+0xec/0x100 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 Root Cause: CPU0 CPU1 mount perf_event umount net_prio cgroup1_get_tree cgroup_kill_sb rebind_subsystems // root destruction enqueues // cgroup_destroy_wq // kill all perf_event css // one perf_event css A is dying // css A offline enqueues cgroup_destroy_wq // root destruction will be executed first css_free_rwork_fn cgroup_destroy_root cgroup_lock_and_drain_offline // some perf descendants are dying // cgroup_destroy_wq max_active = 1 // waiting for css A to die Problem scenario: 1. CPU0 mounts perf_event (rebind_subsystems) 2. CPU1 unmounts net_prio (cgroup_kill_sb), queuing root destruction work 3. A dying perf_event CSS gets queued for offline after root destruction 4. Root destruction waits for offline completion, but offline work is blocked behind root destruction in cgroup_destroy_wq (max_active=1) Solution: Split cgroup_destroy_wq into three dedicated workqueues: cgroup_offline_wq – Handles CSS offline operations cgroup_release_wq – Manages resource release cgroup_free_wq – Performs final memory deallocation This separation eliminates blocking in the CSS free path while waiting for offline operations to complete. [1] https://github.com/linux-test-project/ltp/blob/master/runtest/controllers

Published Oct 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
  • Technical severity (medium)+3

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.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.15%
ahead of 4% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux and 1 more
CVSS base
5.5
Medium · 1 source(s)

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.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

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)
  • 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.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
  2. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux version 4.6≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < 79f919a89c9d06816dbdbbd168fa41d27411a7f9≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < 05e0b03447cf215ec384210441b34b7a3b16e8b0≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < ded4d207a3209a834b6831ceec7f39b934c74802≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < 4a1e3ec28e8062cd9f339aa6a942df9c5bcb6811≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < 993049c9b1355c78918344a6403427d53f9ee700≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < f2795d1b92506e3adf52a298f7181032a1525e04≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < a0c896bda7077aa5005473e2c5b3c27173313b4c
and 1 more ≥ 334c3679ec4b2b113c35ebe37d2018b112dd5013 and < cabadd7fd15f97090f752fd22dd7f876a0dc3dc4
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Linux Linux Kernel version 6.17-rc5version 6.17-rc6≥ 4.6 and < 5.4.300version 6.17-rc4version 6.17-rc3version 6.17-rc2version 6.17-rc1≥ 6.13 and < 6.16.9
and 5 more ≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.49≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.108≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.154≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.194≥ 5.5 and < 5.10.245
Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
5.5 CVSS 3.1 Medium 1.8 3.6 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

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.
endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 15, 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 5.5
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Modified
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2025
  • CVE published
    Oct 4, 2025 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

10 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 14h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 14h
  • CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
  • CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
  • CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
  • CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 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 CWE classification.
  • 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-2025-39953 is "cgroup: split cgroup_destroy_wq into 3 workqueues", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 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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