CVE-2025-22085
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) subsystem. When renaming an RDMA device name, a freed memory region is accessed, potentially allowing local attackers to crash the system or execute arbitrary code. This affects systems with RDMA enabled, typically in high-performance computing and data center environments.
💻 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution, leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
No impact if RDMA is disabled or proper access controls prevent local attackers.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger RDMA device rename operations. The vulnerability was discovered through fuzzing (syzbot).
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 0d6460b9d2a3ee380940bdf47680751ef91cb88e, 1d6a9e7449e2a0c1e2934eee7880ba8bd1e464cd, 56ec8580be5174b2b9774066e60f1aad56d201db, edf6b543e81ba68c6dbac2499ab362098a5a9716
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d6460b9d2a3ee380940bdf47680751ef91cb88e
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution vendor. 2. For custom kernels, apply the fix commits and rebuild. 3. Reboot the system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable RDMA module
linuxPrevent loading of RDMA kernel modules if not required
echo 'install rdma_core /bin/false' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-rdma.conf
echo 'blacklist rdma_core' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-rdma.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with RDMA enabled
- Implement strict SELinux/AppArmor policies to limit RDMA operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if RDMA modules are loaded: lsmod | grep -i rdma. If loaded, check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or is from a distribution that has backported the patches.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- KASAN reports of use-after-free in RDMA subsystem
- System crashes during RDMA operations
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("KASAN" OR "use-after-free" OR "slab-use-after-free") AND "rdma"