CVE-2025-22053
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ibmveth driver allows concurrent writes to sysfs pool files to cause system hangs. This affects Linux systems using IBM virtual ethernet devices on PowerPC platforms. Attackers with local access can trigger denial of service by writing to /sys/devices/vio/30000002/pool*/* files.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system hang requiring hard reboot, causing extended downtime and potential data loss.
Likely Case
Local denial of service affecting network connectivity on the affected interface, requiring system restart.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper access controls preventing unauthorized local users from writing to sysfs files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to write to sysfs files. Simple shell scripts can trigger the condition as demonstrated in the CVE description.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 053f3ff67d7feefc75797863f3d84b47ad47086f and related fixes
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/053f3ff67d7feefc75797863f3d84b47ad47086f
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Check your distribution's security advisories for specific patched kernel versions. 3. Reboot the system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict sysfs access
linuxLimit write access to vulnerable sysfs pool files to prevent unauthorized triggering
chmod 644 /sys/devices/vio/30000002/pool*/*
chown root:root /sys/devices/vio/30000002/pool*/*
Disable ibmveth module
linuxRemove or blacklist the ibmveth kernel module if not required
echo 'blacklist ibmveth' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod ibmveth
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls on /sys/devices/vio/30000002/pool*/* files to prevent unauthorized writes
- Monitor system logs for multiple concurrent writes to ibmveth sysfs files and alert on suspicious patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if ibmveth module is loaded: lsmod | grep ibmveth. If loaded and kernel version is before patched versions, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes fix commits: grep -q '053f3ff67d7feefc75797863f3d84b47ad47086f\|0a2470e3ecde64fc7e3781dc474923193621ae67' /proc/version_signature || uname -r📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple 'ibmveth.*: close starting' messages in rapid succession
- Kernel hung task warnings mentioning stress.sh or similar processes
- System watchdog timeouts
Network Indicators:
- Sudden loss of network connectivity on IBM virtual ethernet interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("ibmveth.*close starting" OR "hung_task_timeout_secs" OR "stress.sh")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/053f3ff67d7feefc75797863f3d84b47ad47086f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a2470e3ecde64fc7e3781dc474923193621ae67
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e458c292f4c687dcf5aad32dd4836d03cd2191f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/86cc70f5c85dc09bf7f3e1eee380eefe73c90765
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a88bb092f4208355880b9fdcc69d491aa297595
