Linux Kernel up to 6.12.25/6.14.4/6.15-rc2 /proc/fs/netfs netfs_init buffer overflow

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability categorized as critical has been discovered in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.25/6.14.4/6.15-rc2. Impacted is the function netfs_init of the file /proc/fs/netfs. The manipulation results in buffer overflow. This vulnerability was named CVE-2025-37876. There is no available exploit. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.25/6.14.4/6.15-rc2. It has been classified as critical. Affected is the function netfs_init of the file /proc/fs/netfs. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a buffer overflow vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-120. The product copies an input buffer to an output buffer without verifying that the size of the input buffer is less than the size of the output buffer, leading to a buffer overflow. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Only create /proc/fs/netfs with CONFIG_PROC_FS When testing a special config: CONFIG_NETFS_SUPPORTS=y CONFIG_PROC_FS=n The system crashes with something like: [ 3.766197] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 3.766484] kernel BUG at mm/mempool.c:560! [ 3.766789] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI [ 3.767123] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Tainted: G W [ 3.767777] Tainted: [W]=WARN [ 3.767968] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), [ 3.768523] RIP: 0010:mempool_alloc_slab.cold+0x17/0x19 [ 3.768847] Code: 50 fe ff 58 5b 5d 41 5c 41 5d 41 5e 41 5f e9 93 95 13 00 [ 3.769977] RSP: 0018:ffffc90000013998 EFLAGS: 00010286 [ 3.770315] RAX: 000000000000002f RBX: ffff888100ba8640 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 3.770749] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000003 RDI: 00000000ffffffff [ 3.771217] RBP: 0000000000092880 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffc90000013828 [ 3.771664] R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 00000000ffffffea R12: 0000000000092cc0 [ 3.772117] R13: 0000000000000400 R14: ffff8881004b1620 R15: ffffea0004ef7e40 [ 3.772554] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8881b5f3c000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 3.773061] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 3.773443] CR2: ffffffff830901b4 CR3: 0000000004296001 CR4: 0000000000770ef0 [ 3.773884] PKRU: 55555554 [ 3.774058] Call Trace: [ 3.774232] <TASK> [ 3.774371] mempool_alloc_noprof+0x6a/0x190 [ 3.774649] ? _printk+0x57/0x80 [ 3.774862] netfs_alloc_request+0x85/0x2ce [ 3.775147] netfs_readahead+0x28/0x170 [ 3.775395] read_pages+0x6c/0x350 [ 3.775623] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.775928] page_cache_ra_unbounded+0x1bd/0x2a0 [ 3.776247] filemap_get_pages+0x139/0x970 [ 3.776510] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.776820] filemap_read+0xf9/0x580 [ 3.777054] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.777368] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.777674] ? find_held_lock+0x32/0x90 [ 3.777929] ? netfs_start_io_read+0x19/0x70 [ 3.778221] ? netfs_start_io_read+0x19/0x70 [ 3.778489] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.778800] ? lock_acquired+0x1e6/0x450 [ 3.779054] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [ 3.779379] netfs_buffered_read_iter+0x57/0x80 [ 3.779670] __kernel_read+0x158/0x2c0 [ 3.779927] bprm_execve+0x300/0x7a0 [ 3.780185] kernel_execve+0x10c/0x140 [ 3.780423] ? __pfx_kernel_init+0x10/0x10 [ 3.780690] kernel_init+0xd5/0x150 [ 3.780910] ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x50 [ 3.781156] ? __pfx_kernel_init+0x10/0x10 [ 3.781414] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [ 3.781677] </TASK> [ 3.781823] Modules linked in: [ 3.782065] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- This is caused by the following error path in netfs_init(): if (!proc_mkdir("fs/netfs", NULL)) goto error_proc; Fix this by adding ifdef in netfs_main(), so that /proc/fs/netfs is only created with CONFIG_PROC_FS.

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2025-37876 since 04/16/2025. The exploitability is told to be easy. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 01/31/2026).

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 6.12.26, 6.14.5 or 6.15-rc3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 2ef6eea2efce01d1956ace483216f6b6e26330c9/6c4c5e0b96a90f2a11c378e66edc1f25165e10b6/40cb48eba3b4b79e110c1a35d33a48cac54507a2 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) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0991). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• Dell Avamar
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

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
• 6.12.23
• 6.12.24
• 6.12.25
• 6.14.0
• 6.14.1
• 6.14.2
• 6.14.3
• 6.14.4
• 6.15-rc1
• 6.15-rc2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

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CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

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