CVE-2025-22060 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 04/16/2025
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: mvpp2: Prevent parser TCAM memory corruption
Protect the parser TCAM/SRAM memory, and the cached (shadow) SRAM information, from concurrent modifications.
Both the TCAM and SRAM tables are indirectly accessed by configuring an index register that selects the row to read or write to. This means that operations must be atomic in order to, e.g., avoid spreading writes across multiple rows. Since the shadow SRAM array is used to find free rows in the hardware table, it must also be protected in order to avoid TOCTOU errors where multiple cores allocate the same row.
This issue was detected in a situation where `mvpp2_set_rx_mode()` ran concurrently on two CPUs. In this particular case the MVPP2_PE_MAC_UC_PROMISCUOUS entry was corrupted, causing the classifier unit to drop all incoming unicast - indicated by the `rx_classifier_drops` counter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-22060 represents a critical concurrency issue within the Marvell ethernet driver implementation in the Linux kernel. This flaw specifically affects the mvpp2 network driver which handles Marvell ethernet controllers and their associated parser TCAM (Ternary Content Addressable Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) structures. The vulnerability stems from inadequate protection mechanisms during concurrent access operations to these memory regions, creating potential for memory corruption that can severely impact network functionality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of concurrent modifications to parser TCAM and SRAM memory structures within the mvpp2 driver. These memory regions are accessed through index registers that select specific rows for read or write operations, making atomic operations essential to prevent data corruption. When multiple CPU cores attempt to modify these structures simultaneously without proper synchronization, the operations can inadvertently spread across multiple rows, leading to unpredictable memory corruption patterns. The issue manifests particularly when the mvpp2_set_rx_mode() function executes concurrently on different CPUs, creating race conditions that compromise the integrity of the hardware tables.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it directly affects network packet processing capabilities within the Linux kernel. When the MVPP2_PE_MAC_UC_PROMISCUOUS entry becomes corrupted due to concurrent access, the classifier unit begins dropping all incoming unicast packets, as evidenced by the rx_classifier_drops counter incrementing. This creates a significant network disruption where legitimate traffic is systematically discarded, potentially leading to complete network connectivity loss for affected systems. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic TOCTOU (Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use) error pattern where the shadow SRAM array used for row allocation becomes inconsistent with the actual hardware state, allowing multiple cores to allocate identical memory rows.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in concurrent programming, and represents a fundamental failure in proper synchronization mechanisms within kernel space network drivers. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, as the corruption can potentially be leveraged to disrupt network services or create persistent access points. The vulnerability affects systems running Linux kernel versions that include the mvpp2 driver implementation, particularly those utilizing Marvell ethernet controllers in multi-core environments where concurrent packet processing occurs. The security implications extend to potential denial-of-service conditions that can compromise network availability and may serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks targeting network infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require implementing proper mutex or spinlock mechanisms around all TCAM and SRAM access operations within the mvpp2 driver. The fix must ensure atomic operations when accessing the index registers that control row selection in both hardware TCAM and shadow SRAM structures. System administrators should prioritize updating to kernel versions that include the patched mvpp2 driver implementation, as the vulnerability cannot be effectively addressed through configuration changes alone. Additionally, monitoring for elevated rx_classifier_drops counters can serve as an early detection mechanism for potential exploitation of this vulnerability in production environments.