Linux Kernel up to 6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9 mptcp_pm_del_add_timer use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9. This affects the function mptcp_pm_del_add_timer. The manipulation of the argument add_timer leads to use after free. This vulnerability is documented as CVE-2025-40257. There is not any exploit available. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9. It has been rated as critical. This issue affects the function mptcp_pm_del_add_timer. The manipulation of the argument add_timer 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: mptcp: fix a race in mptcp_pm_del_add_timer() mptcp_pm_del_add_timer() can call sk_stop_timer_sync(sk, &entry->add_timer) while another might have free entry already, as reported by syzbot. Add RCU protection to fix this issue. Also change confusing add_timer variable with stop_timer boolean. syzbot report: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __timer_delete_sync+0x372/0x3f0 kernel/time/timer.c:1616 Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880311e4150 by task kworker/1:1/44 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 44 Comm: kworker/1:1 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT_{RT,(full)} Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 10/02/2025 Workqueue: events mptcp_worker Call Trace: <TASK> 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 __timer_delete_sync+0x372/0x3f0 kernel/time/timer.c:1616 sk_stop_timer_sync+0x1b/0x90 net/core/sock.c:3631 mptcp_pm_del_add_timer+0x283/0x310 net/mptcp/pm.c:362 mptcp_incoming_options+0x1357/0x1f60 net/mptcp/options.c:1174 tcp_data_queue+0xca/0x6450 net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:5361 tcp_rcv_established+0x1335/0x2670 net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:6441 tcp_v4_do_rcv+0x98b/0xbf0 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:1931 tcp_v4_rcv+0x252a/0x2dc0 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:2374 ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x221/0x440 net/ipv4/ip_input.c:205 ip_local_deliver_finish+0x3bb/0x6f0 net/ipv4/ip_input.c:239 NF_HOOK+0x30c/0x3a0 include/linux/netfilter.h:318 NF_HOOK+0x30c/0x3a0 include/linux/netfilter.h:318 __netif_receive_skb_one_core net/core/dev.c:6079 [inline] __netif_receive_skb+0x143/0x380 net/core/dev.c:6192 process_backlog+0x31e/0x900 net/core/dev.c:6544 __napi_poll+0xb6/0x540 net/core/dev.c:7594 napi_poll net/core/dev.c:7657 [inline] net_rx_action+0x5f7/0xda0 net/core/dev.c:7784 handle_softirqs+0x22f/0x710 kernel/softirq.c:622 __do_softirq kernel/softirq.c:656 [inline] __local_bh_enable_ip+0x1a0/0x2e0 kernel/softirq.c:302 mptcp_pm_send_ack net/mptcp/pm.c:210 [inline] mptcp_pm_addr_send_ack+0x41f/0x500 net/mptcp/pm.c:-1 mptcp_pm_worker+0x174/0x320 net/mptcp/pm.c:1002 mptcp_worker+0xd5/0x1170 net/mptcp/protocol.c:2762 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3263 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xae1/0x17b0 kernel/workqueue.c:3346 worker_thread+0x8a0/0xda0 kernel/workqueue.c:3427 kthread+0x711/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x4bc/0x870 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245 </TASK> Allocated by task 44: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:56 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:77 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:400 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0x93/0xb0 mm/kasan/common.c:417 kasan_kmalloc include/linux/kasan.h:262 [inline] __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x1ef/0x6c0 mm/slub.c:5748 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:957 [inline] mptcp_pm_alloc_anno_list+0x104/0x460 net/mptcp/pm.c:385 mptcp_pm_create_subflow_or_signal_addr+0xf9d/0x1360 net/mptcp/pm_kernel.c:355 mptcp_pm_nl_fully_established net/mptcp/pm_kernel.c:409 [inline] __mptcp_pm_kernel_worker+0x417/0x1ef0 net/mptcp/pm_kernel.c:1529 mptcp_pm_worker+0x1ee/0x320 net/mptcp/pm.c:1008 mptcp_worker+0xd5/0x1170 net/mptcp/protocol.c:2762 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3263 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xae1/0x17b0 kernel/workqueue.c:3346 worker_thread+0x8a0/0xda0 kernel/workqueue.c:3427 kthread+0x711/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x4bc/0x870 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245 Freed by task 6630: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:56 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:77 __kasan_save_free_info+0x46/0x50 mm/kasan/generic.c:587 kasan_save_free_info mm/kasan/kasan.h:406 [inline] poison_slab_object m ---truncated---

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2025-40257 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation is known to be easy. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 02/24/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 277516 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-40257), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.6.118, 6.12.60 or 6.17.10 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch c602cc344b4b8d41515fec3ffa98457ac963ee12/6d3275d4ca62e2c02e1b7e8cd32db59df91c14b7/bbbd75346c8e6490b19c2ba90f38ea66ccf352b2/426358d9be7ce3518966422f87b96f1bad27295f 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 (277516), EUVD (EUVD-2025-201200) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2747). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Google Cloud Platform
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Microsoft Azure Linux

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.6.117
• 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
• 6.12.50
• 6.12.51
• 6.12.52
• 6.12.53
• 6.12.54
• 6.12.55
• 6.12.56
• 6.12.57
• 6.12.58
• 6.12.59
• 6.17.0
• 6.17.1
• 6.17.2
• 6.17.3
• 6.17.4
• 6.17.5
• 6.17.6
• 6.17.7
• 6.17.8
• 6.17.9

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

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

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