In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs/proc/task_mmu: check p->vec_buf for NULL

When the PAGEMAP_SCAN ioctl is invoked with vec_len = 0 reaches
pagemap_scan_backout_range(), kernel panics with null-ptr-deref:

[ 44.936808] Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000000: 0000 [#1] SMP DEBUG_PAGEALLOC KASAN NOPTI
[ 44.937797] KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007]
[ 44.938391] CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 2480 Comm: reproducer Not tainted 6.17.0-rc6 #22 PREEMPT(none)
[ 44.939062] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014
[ 44.939935] RIP: 0010:pagemap_scan_thp_entry.isra.0+0x741/0xa80

<snip registers, unreliable trace>

[ 44.946828] Call Trace:
[ 44.947030] <TASK>
[ 44.949219] pagemap_scan_pmd_entry+0xec/0xfa0
[ 44.952593] walk_pmd_range.isra.0+0x302/0x910
[ 44.954069] walk_pud_range.isra.0+0x419/0x790
[ 44.954427] walk_p4d_range+0x41e/0x620
[ 44.954743] walk_pgd_range+0x31e/0x630
[ 44.955057] __walk_page_range+0x160/0x670
[ 44.956883] walk_page_range_mm+0x408/0x980
[ 44.958677] walk_page_range+0x66/0x90
[ 44.958984] do_pagemap_scan+0x28d/0x9c0
[ 44.961833] do_pagemap_cmd+0x59/0x80
[ 44.962484] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x18d/0x210
[ 44.962804] do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x290
[ 44.963111] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

vec_len = 0 in pagemap_scan_init_bounce_buffer() means no buffers are
allocated and p->vec_buf remains set to NULL.

This breaks an assumption made later in pagemap_scan_backout_range(), that
page_region is always allocated for p->vec_buf_index.

Fix it by explicitly checking p->vec_buf for NULL before dereferencing.

Other sites that might run into same deref-issue are already (directly or
transitively) protected by checking p->vec_buf.

Note:
From PAGEMAP_SCAN man page, it seems vec_len = 0 is valid when no output
is requested and it's only the side effects caller is interested in,
hence it passes check in pagemap_scan_get_args().

This issue was found by syzkaller.
Advisories
Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-2 Linux kernel (FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8100-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-3 Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Mon, 20 Oct 2025 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/proc/task_mmu: check p->vec_buf for NULL When the PAGEMAP_SCAN ioctl is invoked with vec_len = 0 reaches pagemap_scan_backout_range(), kernel panics with null-ptr-deref: [ 44.936808] Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000000: 0000 [#1] SMP DEBUG_PAGEALLOC KASAN NOPTI [ 44.937797] KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] [ 44.938391] CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 2480 Comm: reproducer Not tainted 6.17.0-rc6 #22 PREEMPT(none) [ 44.939062] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 [ 44.939935] RIP: 0010:pagemap_scan_thp_entry.isra.0+0x741/0xa80 <snip registers, unreliable trace> [ 44.946828] Call Trace: [ 44.947030] <TASK> [ 44.949219] pagemap_scan_pmd_entry+0xec/0xfa0 [ 44.952593] walk_pmd_range.isra.0+0x302/0x910 [ 44.954069] walk_pud_range.isra.0+0x419/0x790 [ 44.954427] walk_p4d_range+0x41e/0x620 [ 44.954743] walk_pgd_range+0x31e/0x630 [ 44.955057] __walk_page_range+0x160/0x670 [ 44.956883] walk_page_range_mm+0x408/0x980 [ 44.958677] walk_page_range+0x66/0x90 [ 44.958984] do_pagemap_scan+0x28d/0x9c0 [ 44.961833] do_pagemap_cmd+0x59/0x80 [ 44.962484] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x18d/0x210 [ 44.962804] do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x290 [ 44.963111] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e vec_len = 0 in pagemap_scan_init_bounce_buffer() means no buffers are allocated and p->vec_buf remains set to NULL. This breaks an assumption made later in pagemap_scan_backout_range(), that page_region is always allocated for p->vec_buf_index. Fix it by explicitly checking p->vec_buf for NULL before dereferencing. Other sites that might run into same deref-issue are already (directly or transitively) protected by checking p->vec_buf. Note: From PAGEMAP_SCAN man page, it seems vec_len = 0 is valid when no output is requested and it's only the side effects caller is interested in, hence it passes check in pagemap_scan_get_args(). This issue was found by syzkaller.
Title fs/proc/task_mmu: check p->vec_buf for NULL
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-10-20T15:26:55.208Z

Reserved: 2025-04-16T07:20:57.151Z

Link: CVE-2025-40009

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-10-20T16:15:37.593

Modified: 2025-10-21T19:31:25.450

Link: CVE-2025-40009

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2025-10-20T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2025-40009 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2025-10-21T09:39:49Z

Weaknesses

No weakness.