Linux Kernel up to 6.12.22/6.13.10/6.14.1 ALSA copy_from_user/copy_to_user deadlock

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.22/6.13.10/6.14.1. This vulnerability affects the function copy_from_user/copy_to_user of the component ALSA. Performing a manipulation results in deadlock. This vulnerability is reported as CVE-2025-23134. No exploit exists. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.22/6.13.10/6.14.1. It has been classified as critical. This affects the function copy_from_user/copy_to_user of the component ALSA. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a deadlock vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-833. The product contains multiple threads or executable segments that are waiting for each other to release a necessary lock, resulting in deadlock. This is going to have an impact on availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: timer: Don't take register_mutex with copy_from/to_user() The infamous mmap_lock taken in copy_from/to_user() can be often problematic when it's called inside another mutex, as they might lead to deadlocks. In the case of ALSA timer code, the bad pattern is with guard(mutex)(®ister_mutex) that covers copy_from/to_user() -- which was mistakenly introduced at converting to guard(), and it had been carefully worked around in the past. This patch fixes those pieces simply by moving copy_from/to_user() out of the register mutex lock again.

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-23134 since 01/11/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 240657 (Ubuntu 25.04 : Linux kernel vulnerabilities (USN-7594-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2 or 6.15-rc1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 15291b561d8cc835a2eea76b394070cf8e072771/296f7a9e15aab276db11206cbc1e2ae1215d7862/b074f47e55df93832bbbca1b524c501e6fea1c0d/3424c8f53bc63c87712a7fc22dc13d0cc85fb0d6 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (240657), EUVD (EUVD-2025-11166) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0844). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Dell Avamar
• SolarWinds Security Event Manager
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway
• IBM QRadar SIEM

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.12.20
• 6.12.21
• 6.12.22
• 6.13.0
• 6.13.1
• 6.13.2
• 6.13.3
• 6.13.4
• 6.13.5
• 6.13.6
• 6.13.7
• 6.13.8
• 6.13.9
• 6.13.10
• 6.14.0
• 6.14.1

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Entryinfo

Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

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