CVE-2025-40201

Summary

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.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
LinuxLinux18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a < 1bc0d9315ef5296abb2c9fd840336255850ded18affected
LinuxLinux18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a < 132f827e7bac7373e1522e89709d70b43cae5342affected
LinuxLinux18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a < 19b45c84bd9fd42fa97ff80c6350d604cb871c75affected
LinuxLinux18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a < 6796412decd2d8de8ec708213bbc958fab72f143affected
LinuxLinux18c91bb2d87268d23868bf13508f5bc9cf04e89a < a15f37a40145c986cdf289a4b88390f35efdecc4affected
LinuxLinux5.18affected
LinuxLinux0 < 5.18unaffected
LinuxLinux6.1.157 <= 6.1.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.6.113 <= 6.6.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.12.54 <= 6.12.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.17.4 <= 6.17.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.18 <= *unaffected

Weaknesses

References