Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: page_pool: Fix use-after...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
page_pool: Fix use-after-free in page_pool_recycle_in_ring
syzbot reported a uaf in page_pool_recycle_in_ring:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in lock_release+0x151/0xa30 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5862
Read of size 8 at addr ffff8880286045a0 by task syz.0.284/6943
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 6943 Comm: syz.0.284 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc3-syzkaller-gdfa94ce54f41 #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 09/13/2024
Call Trace:
__dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline]
dump_stack_lvl+0x241/0x360 lib/dump_stack.c:120
print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:378 [inline]
print_report+0x169/0x550 mm/kasan/report.c:489
kasan_report+0x143/0x180 mm/kasan/report.c:602
lock_release+0x151/0xa30 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5862
__raw_spin_unlock_bh include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:165 [inline]
_raw_spin_unlock_bh+0x1b/0x40 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:210
spin_unlock_bh include/linux/spinlock.h:396 [inline]
ptr_ring_produce_bh include/linux/ptr_ring.h:164 [inline]
page_pool_recycle_in_ring net/core/page_pool.c:707 [inline]
page_pool_put_unrefed_netmem+0x748/0xb00 net/core/page_pool.c:826
page_pool_put_netmem include/net/page_pool/helpers.h:323 [inline]
page_pool_put_full_netmem include/net/page_pool/helpers.h:353 [inline]
napi_pp_put_page+0x149/0x2b0 net/core/skbuff.c:1036
skb_pp_recycle net/core/skbuff.c:1047 [inline]
skb_free_head net/core/skbuff.c:1094 [inline]
skb_release_data+0x6c4/0x8a0 net/core/skbuff.c:1125
skb_release_all net/core/skbuff.c:1190 [inline]
__kfree_skb net/core/skbuff.c:1204 [inline]
sk_skb_reason_drop+0x1c9/0x380 net/core/skbuff.c:1242
kfree_skb_reason include/linux/skbuff.h:1263 [inline]
__skb_queue_purge_reason include/linux/skbuff.h:3343 [inline]
root cause is:
page_pool_recycle_in_ring
ptr_ring_produce
spin_lock(&r->producer_lock);
WRITE_ONCE(r->queue[r->producer++], ptr)
//recycle last page to pool
page_pool_release
page_pool_scrub
page_pool_empty_ring
ptr_ring_consume
page_pool_return_page //release all page
__page_pool_destroy
free_percpu(pool->recycle_stats);
free(pool) //free
spin_unlock(&r->producer_lock); //pool->ring uaf read
recycle_stat_inc(pool, ring);
page_pool can be free while page pool recycle the last page in ring.
Add producer-lock barrier to page_pool_release to prevent the page
pool from being free before all pages have been recycled.
recycle_stat_inc() is empty when CONFIG_PAGE_POOL_STATS is not
enabled, which will trigger Wempty-body build warning. Add definition
for pool stat macro to fix warning.
Impact
Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or potential code execution.
CVE-2025-38129 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-38129? CVE-2025-38129 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38129? CVE-2025-38129 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-38129? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38129 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38129 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38129 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-38129 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.