Linux Kernel up to 6.1.158/6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9 open_mutex deadlock

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.158/6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9 and classified as critical. This impacts the function open_mutex. This manipulation causes deadlock. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2025-68218. There is no exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.158/6.6.117/6.12.59/6.17.9 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function open_mutex. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a deadlock vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-833. The product contains multiple threads or executable segments that are waiting for each other to release a necessary lock, resulting in deadlock. As an impact it is known to affect availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-multipath: fix lockdep WARN due to partition scan work Blktests test cases nvme/014, 057 and 058 fail occasionally due to a lockdep WARN. As reported in the Closes tag URL, the WARN indicates that a deadlock can happen due to the dependency among disk->open_mutex, kblockd workqueue completion and partition_scan_work completion. To avoid the lockdep WARN and the potential deadlock, cut the dependency by running the partition_scan_work not by kblockd workqueue but by nvme_wq.

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2025-68218 since 12/16/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 300556 (openSUSE 16 Security Update : kernel (openSUSE-SU-2026:20287-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.159, 6.6.118, 6.12.60 or 6.17.10 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 89456dab7ba5ab63d60945440926673a3205e829/e2a897ad5f538d314955c747a0a2edb184fcdecd/ef4ab2a8abe554379e10303ae86f7c501336ba0d/b03eb63288a8ffe3adfb34e68309c8e2edb06d0b/6d87cd5335784351280f82c47cc8a657271929c3 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 (300556) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2868). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Open Source Linux Kernel

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.1.158
• 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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Exploitinginfo

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Entryinfo

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