Linux Kernel up to 6.17.2 LoongArch return value

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.17.2. This affects an unknown part of the component LoongArch. The manipulation leads to return value. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2025-40041. There is no available exploit. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.17.2 and classified as critical. This issue affects an unknown functionality of the component LoongArch. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a return value vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-252. The product does not check the return value from a method or function, which can prevent it from detecting unexpected states and conditions. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: LoongArch: BPF: Sign-extend struct ops return values properly The ns_bpf_qdisc selftest triggers a kernel panic: Oops[#1]: CPU 0 Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 0000000000741d58, era == 90000000851b5ac0, ra == 90000000851b5aa4 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 449 Comm: test_progs Tainted: G OE 6.16.0+ #3 PREEMPT(full) Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE, [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE Hardware name: QEMU QEMU Virtual Machine, BIOS unknown 2/2/2022 pc 90000000851b5ac0 ra 90000000851b5aa4 tp 90000001076b8000 sp 90000001076bb600 a0 0000000000741ce8 a1 0000000000000001 a2 90000001076bb5c0 a3 0000000000000008 a4 90000001004c4620 a5 9000000100741ce8 a6 0000000000000000 a7 0100000000000000 t0 0000000000000010 t1 0000000000000000 t2 9000000104d24d30 t3 0000000000000001 t4 4f2317da8a7e08c4 t5 fffffefffc002f00 t6 90000001004c4620 t7 ffffffffc61c5b3d t8 0000000000000000 u0 0000000000000001 s9 0000000000000050 s0 90000001075bc800 s1 0000000000000040 s2 900000010597c400 s3 0000000000000008 s4 90000001075bc880 s5 90000001075bc8f0 s6 0000000000000000 s7 0000000000741ce8 s8 0000000000000000 ra: 90000000851b5aa4 __qdisc_run+0xac/0x8d8 ERA: 90000000851b5ac0 __qdisc_run+0xc8/0x8d8 CRMD: 000000b0 (PLV0 -IE -DA +PG DACF=CC DACM=CC -WE) PRMD: 00000004 (PPLV0 +PIE -PWE) EUEN: 00000007 (+FPE +SXE +ASXE -BTE) ECFG: 00071c1d (LIE=0,2-4,10-12 VS=7) ESTAT: 00010000 [PIL] (IS= ECode=1 EsubCode=0) BADV: 0000000000741d58 PRID: 0014c010 (Loongson-64bit, Loongson-3A5000) Modules linked in: bpf_testmod(OE) [last unloaded: bpf_testmod(OE)] Process test_progs (pid: 449, threadinfo=000000009af02b3a, task=00000000e9ba4956) Stack : 0000000000000000 90000001075bc8ac 90000000869524a8 9000000100741ce8 90000001075bc800 9000000100415300 90000001075bc8ac 0000000000000000 900000010597c400 900000008694a000 0000000000000000 9000000105b59000 90000001075bc800 9000000100741ce8 0000000000000050 900000008513000c 9000000086936000 0000000100094d4c fffffff400676208 0000000000000000 9000000105b59000 900000008694a000 9000000086bf0dc0 9000000105b59000 9000000086bf0d68 9000000085147010 90000001075be788 0000000000000000 9000000086bf0f98 0000000000000001 0000000000000010 9000000006015840 0000000000000000 9000000086be6c40 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 4f2317da8a7e08c4 0000000000000101 4f2317da8a7e08c4 ... Call Trace: [<90000000851b5ac0>] __qdisc_run+0xc8/0x8d8 [<9000000085130008>] __dev_queue_xmit+0x578/0x10f0 [<90000000853701c0>] ip6_finish_output2+0x2f0/0x950 [<9000000085374bc8>] ip6_finish_output+0x2b8/0x448 [<9000000085370b24>] ip6_xmit+0x304/0x858 [<90000000853c4438>] inet6_csk_xmit+0x100/0x170 [<90000000852b32f0>] __tcp_transmit_skb+0x490/0xdd0 [<90000000852b47fc>] tcp_connect+0xbcc/0x1168 [<90000000853b9088>] tcp_v6_connect+0x580/0x8a0 [<90000000852e7738>] __inet_stream_connect+0x170/0x480 [<90000000852e7a98>] inet_stream_connect+0x50/0x88 [<90000000850f2814>] __sys_connect+0xe4/0x110 [<90000000850f2858>] sys_connect+0x18/0x28 [<9000000085520c94>] do_syscall+0x94/0x1a0 [<9000000083df1fb8>] handle_syscall+0xb8/0x158 Code: 4001ad80 2400873f 2400832d <240073cc> 001137ff 001133ff 6407b41f 001503cc 0280041d ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- The bpf_fifo_dequeue prog returns a skb which is a pointer. The pointer is treated as a 32bit value and sign extend to 64bit in epilogue. This behavior is right for most bpf prog types but wrong for struct ops which requires LoongArch ABI. So let's sign extend struct ops return values according to the LoongArch ABI ([1]) and return value spec in function model. [1]: https://loongson.github.io/LoongArch-Documentation/LoongArch-ELF-ABI-EN.html

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2025-40041 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation is known to be difficult. Neither technical details nor an exploit are publicly available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 05/19/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 272024 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-40041), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.17.3 or 6.18-rc1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 9f3169bb3c2967166b4f4433cf152a84f3eb95d0/8b51b11b3d81c1ed48a52f87da9256d737b723a0 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 (272024) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2431). Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Microsoft Azure
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell ECS

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.17.0
• 6.17.1
• 6.17.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

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Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

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