CVE-2025-23150
📋 TL;DR
A Linux kernel vulnerability in the ext4 filesystem's do_split function allows an off-by-one error that can lead to out-of-bounds memory access and use-after-free conditions. This affects systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions with ext4 filesystems, potentially allowing local attackers to crash the system or execute arbitrary code.
💻 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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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, complete system compromise, or persistent denial of service.
Likely Case
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, requiring reboot to restore functionality.
If Mitigated
System crash with automatic recovery if kernel panic handling is configured, but potential data corruption in ext4 filesystem operations.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to create specific directory structures with many long filenames to trigger the off-by-one condition.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits: 16d9067f00e3a7d1df7c3aa9c20d214923d27e10, 17df39f455f1289319d4d09e4826aa46852ffd17, 2883e9e74f73f9265e5f8d1aaaa89034b308e433, 2eeb1085bf7bd5c7ba796ca4119925fa5d336a3f, 35d0aa6db9d93307085871ceab8a729594a98162
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16d9067f00e3a7d1df7c3aa9c20d214923d27e10
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Mount ext4 with noexec option
linuxPrevents execution of binaries from affected filesystems, reducing impact of potential code execution
mount -o remount,noexec /mount/point
Implement strict access controls
linuxLimit filesystem write access to trusted users only
chmod 755 /directory
setfacl -m u:username:rx /directory
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement mandatory access control (SELinux/AppArmor) to restrict filesystem operations
- Monitor for unusual directory creation patterns and filesystem errors in system logs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if ext4 is in use: 'uname -r' and 'mount | grep ext4'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check for presence of fix commits in kernel source📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- KASAN reports of use-after-free in ext4_insert_dentry
- Filesystem corruption errors
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local filesystem vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("KASAN" OR "use-after-free" OR "ext4_insert_dentry" OR "do_split")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16d9067f00e3a7d1df7c3aa9c20d214923d27e10
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17df39f455f1289319d4d09e4826aa46852ffd17
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2883e9e74f73f9265e5f8d1aaaa89034b308e433
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2eeb1085bf7bd5c7ba796ca4119925fa5d336a3f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35d0aa6db9d93307085871ceab8a729594a98162
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/515c34cff899eb5dae6aa7eee01c1295b07d81af
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94824ac9a8aaf2fb3c54b4bdde842db80ffa555d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab0cc5c25552ae0d20eae94b40a93be11b080fc5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b96bd2c3db26ad0daec5b78c85c098b53900e2e1
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.html
