CVE Intelligence
High

CVE-2025-40243 — hfs: fix KMSAN uninit-value issue in hfs_find_set_zero_bits()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hfs: fix KMSAN uninit-value issue in hfs_find_set_zero_bits() The syzbot reported issue in hfs_find_set_zero_bits(): ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in hfs_find_set_zero_bits+0x74d/0xb60 fs/hfs/bitmap.c:45 hfs_find_set_zero_bits+0x74d/0xb60 fs/hfs/bitmap.c:45 hfs_vbm_search_free+0x13c/0x5b0 fs/hfs/bitmap.c:151 hfs_extend_file+0x6a5/0x1b00 fs/hfs/extent.c:408 hfs_get_block+0x435/0x1150 fs/hfs/extent.c:353 __block_write_begin_int+0xa76/0x3030 fs/buffer.c:2151 block_write_begin fs/buffer.c:2262 [inline] cont_write_begin+0x10e1/0x1bc0 fs/buffer.c:2601 hfs_write_begin+0x85/0x130 fs/hfs/inode.c:52 cont_expand_zero fs/buffer.c:2528 [inline] cont_write_begin+0x35a/0x1bc0 fs/buffer.c:2591 hfs_write_begin+0x85/0x130 fs/hfs/inode.c:52 hfs_file_truncate+0x1d6/0xe60 fs/hfs/extent.c:494 hfs_inode_setattr+0x964/0xaa0 fs/hfs/inode.c:654 notify_change+0x1993/0x1aa0 fs/attr.c:552 do_truncate+0x28f/0x310 fs/open.c:68 do_ftruncate+0x698/0x730 fs/open.c:195 do_sys_ftruncate fs/open.c:210 [inline] __do_sys_ftruncate fs/open.c:215 [inline] __se_sys_ftruncate fs/open.c:213 [inline] __x64_sys_ftruncate+0x11b/0x250 fs/open.c:213 x64_sys_call+0xfe3/0x3db0 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:78 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xd9/0x210 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slub.c:4154 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:4197 [inline] __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x7f7/0xed0 mm/slub.c:4354 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:905 [inline] hfs_mdb_get+0x1cc8/0x2a90 fs/hfs/mdb.c:175 hfs_fill_super+0x3d0/0xb80 fs/hfs/super.c:337 get_tree_bdev_flags+0x6e3/0x920 fs/super.c:1681 get_tree_bdev+0x38/0x50 fs/super.c:1704 hfs_get_tree+0x35/0x40 fs/hfs/super.c:388 vfs_get_tree+0xb0/0x5c0 fs/super.c:1804 do_new_mount+0x738/0x1610 fs/namespace.c:3902 path_mount+0x6db/0x1e90 fs/namespace.c:4226 do_mount fs/namespace.c:4239 [inline] __do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:4450 [inline] __se_sys_mount+0x6eb/0x7d0 fs/namespace.c:4427 __x64_sys_mount+0xe4/0x150 fs/namespace.c:4427 x64_sys_call+0xfa7/0x3db0 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:166 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xd9/0x210 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 12609 Comm: syz.1.2692 Not tainted 6.16.0-syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(none) Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/12/2025 ===================================================== The HFS_SB(sb)->bitmap buffer is allocated in hfs_mdb_get(): HFS_SB(sb)->bitmap = kmalloc(8192, GFP_KERNEL); Finally, it can trigger the reported issue because kmalloc() doesn't clear the allocated memory. If allocated memory contains only zeros, then everything will work pretty fine. But if the allocated memory contains the "garbage", then it can affect the bitmap operations and it triggers the reported issue. This patch simply exchanges the kmalloc() on kzalloc() with the goal to guarantee the correctness of bitmap operations. Because, newly created allocation bitmap should have all available blocks free. Potentially, initialization bitmap's read operation could not fill the whole allocated memory and "garbage" in the not initialized memory will be the reason of volume coruptions and file system driver bugs.

Published Dec 4, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 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 (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.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.16%
ahead of 4% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
7.8
High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

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).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  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 ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < fc56548fca732f3d3692c83b40db796259a03887≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < bf1683078fbdd09a7f7f9b74121ebaa03432bd00≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 2a112cdd66f5a132da5235ca31a320528c86bf33≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < e148ed5cda8fd96d4620c4622fb02f552a2d166a≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < cfafefcb0e1fc60135f7040f4aed0a4aef4f76ca≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 3b447fd401824e1ccf0b769188edefe866a1e676≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 502fa92a71f344611101bd04ef1a595b8b6014f5≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 2048ec5b98dbdfe0b929d2e42dc7a54c389c53dd
and 1 more version 2.6.12
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

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
High
Integrity
High
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
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 — — 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: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.16%

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 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 7.8
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Deferred
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • 2025
  • CVE published
    Dec 4, 2025 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

8 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 12h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 12h
  • 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 fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • 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-2025-40243 is "hfs: fix KMSAN uninit-value issue in hfs_find_set_zero_bits()", 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 0.16% 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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