Linux Kernel up to 6.6.116/6.12.57/6.17.7 smb smb2_query_info_compound use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.116/6.12.57/6.17.7. This affects the function smb2_query_info_compound of the component smb. Performing a manipulation results in use after free. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2025-40320. There is no exploit available. You should upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.116/6.12.57/6.17.7. This affects the function smb2_query_info_compound of the component smb. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix potential cfid UAF in smb2_query_info_compound When smb2_query_info_compound() retries, a previously allocated cfid may have been freed in the first attempt. Because cfid wasn't reset on replay, later cleanup could act on a stale pointer, leading to a potential use-after-free. Reinitialize cfid to NULL under the replay label. Example trace (trimmed): refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 11224 at ../lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0x9c/0x110 [...] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0x9c/0x110 [...] Call Trace: <TASK> smb2_query_info_compound+0x29c/0x5c0 [cifs f90b72658819bd21c94769b6a652029a07a7172f] ? step_into+0x10d/0x690 ? __legitimize_path+0x28/0x60 smb2_queryfs+0x6a/0xf0 [cifs f90b72658819bd21c94769b6a652029a07a7172f] smb311_queryfs+0x12d/0x140 [cifs f90b72658819bd21c94769b6a652029a07a7172f] ? kmem_cache_alloc+0x18a/0x340 ? getname_flags+0x46/0x1e0 cifs_statfs+0x9f/0x2b0 [cifs f90b72658819bd21c94769b6a652029a07a7172f] statfs_by_dentry+0x67/0x90 vfs_statfs+0x16/0xd0 user_statfs+0x54/0xa0 __do_sys_statfs+0x20/0x50 do_syscall_64+0x58/0x80

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-40320 since 04/16/2025. The exploitability is told 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 02/23/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 277718 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-40320), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.6.117, 6.12.58 or 6.17.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 939c4e33005e2a56ea8fcedddf0da92df864bd3b/327f89c21601ebb7889f8c97754b76f08ce95a0c/b556c278d43f4707a9073ca74d55581b4f279806/5c76f9961c170552c1d07c830b5e145475151600 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 (277718) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2756). 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
• NetApp FAS
• NetApp AFF
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Microsoft Azure Linux

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.6.116
• 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
• 6.17.0
• 6.17.1
• 6.17.2
• 6.17.3
• 6.17.4
• 6.17.5
• 6.17.6
• 6.17.7

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Exploitinginfo

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Entryinfo

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