CVE-2025-38282: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard

Published Jul 10, 2025
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard

The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfsshoulddrainopenfiles() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfsunbreakactiveprotection() and kernfsputactive() as found out by Chen Ridong:

kernfsremovebynamens kernfsgetactive // active=1 kernfsremove // active=0x80000002 kernfsdrain ... waitevent //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfsbreakactiveprotection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfsunbreakactiveprotection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfsshoulddrainopenfiles // warning occurs kernfsputactive

To avoid the false positives (mind paniconwarn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)

Affected Software

7 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=6.1<6.1.142
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.94
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.34
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.15.3
Debian Debian Linux=11.0
debian/linux
6.1.176-16.1.190-16.12.107-16.12.113-17.2.12-17.2.13-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.113-1Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.13-1
  2. Compensating control

    Remove the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() altogether to avoid false positives from callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active().

Event History

Jul 10, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:42 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:42 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·08:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-38282?

CVE-2025-38282 has been categorized with a severity level that indicates potential risk to systems running the Linux kernel.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-38282?

To remediate CVE-2025-38282, it is recommended to update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the patch.

3

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2025-38282?

CVE-2025-38282 impacts specific versions of the Linux kernel prior to the release of the patched version.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2025-38282?

CVE-2025-38282 is a vulnerability related to the handling of the active reference lifecycle in the Linux kernel's kernfs.

5

Is a workaround available for CVE-2025-38282?

Currently, no specific workarounds have been documented for CVE-2025-38282, and updating the kernel is the recommended approach.

Contact

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