CVE-2025-39766: net/sched: Make cake_enqueue return NET_XMIT_CN when past buffer_limit

Published Sep 11, 2025
·
Updated

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

net/sched: Make cakeenqueue return NETXMITCN when past bufferlimit

The following setup can trigger a WARNING in htbactivate due to the condition: !cl->leaf.q->q.qlen

tc qdisc del dev lo root tc qdisc add dev lo root handle 1: htb default 1 tc class add dev lo parent 1: classid 1:1 \ htb rate 64bit tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:1 handle f: \ cake memlimit 1b ping -I lo -f -c1 -s64 -W0.001 127.0.0.1

This is because the low memlimit leads to a low bufferlimit, which causes packet dropping. However, cakeenqueue still returns NETXMITSUCCESS, causing htbenqueue to call htbactivate with an empty child qdisc. We should return NETXMITCN when packets are dropped from the same tin and flow.

I do not believe return value of NETXMITCN is necessary for packet drops in the case of ack filtering, as that is meant to optimize performance, not to signal congestion.

Affected Software

14 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Kernel
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2
Microsoft cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1
Linux Linux kernel>=4.19<5.4.297
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.241
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.190
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.149
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.103
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.44
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.16.4
Linux Linux kernel=6.17-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.17-rc2
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

Event History

Sep 11, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:56 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:56 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·05:04 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Sep 13, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·01:04 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected 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-2025-39766?

The severity of CVE-2025-39766 has not been officially rated, but it may lead to issues in network scheduling operations under specific conditions.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-39766?

To fix CVE-2025-39766, it is recommended to update to the latest version of the Linux kernel where the vulnerability has been resolved.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-39766?

CVE-2025-39766 affects systems running vulnerable versions of the Linux kernel.

4

What is the impact of CVE-2025-39766?

The impact of CVE-2025-39766 includes potential warnings in the htb_activate function during network queue management.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2025-39766?

Currently, there are no specific workarounds for CVE-2025-39766, so updating the kernel to secure versions is the best approach.

Contact

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