CVE-2025-40201
kernel/sys.c: fix the racy usage of task_lock(tsk->group_leader) in sys_prlimit64() paths
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 0.15%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 96% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernel/sys.c: fix the racy usage of task_lock(tsk->group_leader) in sys_prlimit64() paths The usage of task_lock(tsk->group_leader) in sys_prlimit64()->do_prlimit() path is very broken. sys_prlimit64() does get_task_struct(tsk) but this only protects task_struct itself. If tsk != current and tsk is not a leader, this process can exit/exec and task_lock(tsk->group_leader) may use the already freed task_struct. Another problem is that sys_prlimit64() can race with mt-exec which changes ->group_leader. In this case do_prlimit() may take the wrong lock, or (worse) ->group_leader may change between task_lock() and task_unlock(). Change sys_prlimit64() to take tasklist_lock when necessary. This is not nice, but I don't see a better fix for -stable.
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
- 7 months later
· 7 months later
Published
- 11 months later
· 11 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinuxCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Deferred | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.15% · top 96% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
- affected 18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a – < 1bc0d9315ef5296abb2c9fd840336255850ded18
- affected 18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a – < 132f827e7bac7373e1522e89709d70b43cae5342
- affected 18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a – < 19b45c84bd9fd42fa97ff80c6350d604cb871c75
- affected 18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a – < 6796412decd2d8de8ec708213bbc958fab72f143
- affected 18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a – < a15f37a40145c986cdf289a4b88390f35efdecc4
- affected 5.18
- unaffected < 5.18
- unaffected 6.1.157 – ≤ 6.1.*
- unaffected 6.6.113 – ≤ 6.6.*
- unaffected 6.12.54 – ≤ 6.12.*
- unaffected 6.17.4 – ≤ 6.17.*
- unaffected 6.18 – ≤ *
References
References5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1bc0d9315ef5296abb2c9fd840336255850ded18 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/132f827e7bac7373e1522e89709d70b43cae5342 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19b45c84bd9fd42fa97ff80c6350d604cb871c75 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6796412decd2d8de8ec708213bbc958fab72f143 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a15f37a40145c986cdf289a4b88390f35efdecc4 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2025-150373 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2025-40201)Record last updated .