Linux Kernel up to 6.12.49/6.16.9 net include/linux/skbuff.h skb_pp_cow_data use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.49/6.16.9. Affected by this issue is the function skb_pp_cow_data in the library include/linux/skbuff.h of the component net. The manipulation leads to use after free. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-39984. No exploit exists. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.49/6.16.9. This issue affects the function skb_pp_cow_data in the library include/linux/skbuff.h of the component net. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tun: Update napi->skb after XDP process The syzbot report a UAF issue: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in skb_reset_mac_header include/linux/skbuff.h:3150 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in napi_frags_skb net/core/gro.c:723 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in napi_gro_frags+0x6e/0x1030 net/core/gro.c:758 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88802ef22c18 by task syz.0.17/6079 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 6079 Comm: syz.0.17 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(full) Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x189/0x250 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:378 [inline] print_report+0xca/0x240 mm/kasan/report.c:482 kasan_report+0x118/0x150 mm/kasan/report.c:595 skb_reset_mac_header include/linux/skbuff.h:3150 [inline] napi_frags_skb net/core/gro.c:723 [inline] napi_gro_frags+0x6e/0x1030 net/core/gro.c:758 tun_get_user+0x28cb/0x3e20 drivers/net/tun.c:1920 tun_chr_write_iter+0x113/0x200 drivers/net/tun.c:1996 new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:593 [inline] vfs_write+0x5c9/0xb30 fs/read_write.c:686 ksys_write+0x145/0x250 fs/read_write.c:738 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Allocated by task 6079: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:68 unpoison_slab_object mm/kasan/common.c:330 [inline] __kasan_mempool_unpoison_object+0xa0/0x170 mm/kasan/common.c:558 kasan_mempool_unpoison_object include/linux/kasan.h:388 [inline] napi_skb_cache_get+0x37b/0x6d0 net/core/skbuff.c:295 __alloc_skb+0x11e/0x2d0 net/core/skbuff.c:657 napi_alloc_skb+0x84/0x7d0 net/core/skbuff.c:811 napi_get_frags+0x69/0x140 net/core/gro.c:673 tun_napi_alloc_frags drivers/net/tun.c:1404 [inline] tun_get_user+0x77c/0x3e20 drivers/net/tun.c:1784 tun_chr_write_iter+0x113/0x200 drivers/net/tun.c:1996 new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:593 [inline] vfs_write+0x5c9/0xb30 fs/read_write.c:686 ksys_write+0x145/0x250 fs/read_write.c:738 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 6079: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:68 kasan_save_free_info+0x46/0x50 mm/kasan/generic.c:576 poison_slab_object mm/kasan/common.c:243 [inline] __kasan_slab_free+0x5b/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:275 kasan_slab_free include/linux/kasan.h:233 [inline] slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:2422 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:4695 [inline] kmem_cache_free+0x18f/0x400 mm/slub.c:4797 skb_pp_cow_data+0xdd8/0x13e0 net/core/skbuff.c:969 netif_skb_check_for_xdp net/core/dev.c:5390 [inline] netif_receive_generic_xdp net/core/dev.c:5431 [inline] do_xdp_generic+0x699/0x11a0 net/core/dev.c:5499 tun_get_user+0x2523/0x3e20 drivers/net/tun.c:1872 tun_chr_write_iter+0x113/0x200 drivers/net/tun.c:1996 new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:593 [inline] vfs_write+0x5c9/0xb30 fs/read_write.c:686 ksys_write+0x145/0x250 fs/read_write.c:738 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f After commit e6d5dbdd20aa ("xdp: add multi-buff support for xdp running in generic mode"), the original skb may be freed in skb_pp_cow_data() when XDP program was attached, which was allocated in tun_napi_alloc_frags(). However, the napi->skb still point to the original skb, update it after XDP process.

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2025-39984 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation is known to be easy. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 02/08/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 271562 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-39984), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.12.50 or 6.16.10 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 953200d56fc23eebf80a5ad9eed6e2e8a3065093/1697577e1669b0321d02cd848384a5d33e284296/1091860a16a86ccdd77c09f2b21a5f634f5ab9ec 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 (271562) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2298). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• Dell NetWorker

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
• 6.12.26
• 6.12.27
• 6.12.28
• 6.12.29
• 6.12.30
• 6.12.31
• 6.12.32
• 6.12.33
• 6.12.34
• 6.12.35
• 6.12.36
• 6.12.37
• 6.12.38
• 6.12.39
• 6.12.40
• 6.12.41
• 6.12.42
• 6.12.43
• 6.12.44
• 6.12.45
• 6.12.46
• 6.12.47
• 6.12.48
• 6.12.49
• 6.16.0
• 6.16.1
• 6.16.2
• 6.16.3
• 6.16.4
• 6.16.5
• 6.16.6
• 6.16.7
• 6.16.8
• 6.16.9

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Discussion