CVE-2025-39948
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel Ethernet Controller (ice) driver allows attackers to cause resource exhaustion by triggering zero-size descriptors in multi-buffer frames. This affects systems using Intel Ethernet 800 Series network adapters with jumbo frames enabled. The vulnerability can lead to system instability or denial of service.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Intel Ethernet Controller E800 Series driver (ice)
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could exhaust system memory, causing kernel panic, system crashes, or complete denial of service requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
Gradual memory exhaustion leading to system instability, performance degradation, and eventual service disruption under high network load with jumbo frames.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper monitoring and memory limits; may cause occasional packet drops but not system-wide failure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted network packets to trigger zero-size descriptors. No public exploit code available at CVE publication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 80555adb5c892f0e21d243ae96ed997ee520aea9, 84bf1ac85af84d354c7a2fdbdc0d4efc8aaec34b, fcb5718ebfe7fd64144e3399280440cce361a3ae
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/80555adb5c892f0e21d243ae96ed997ee520aea9
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from distribution vendor. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source with included patches. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable jumbo frames
linuxConfigure network interfaces to use standard MTU (1500) instead of jumbo frames
ip link set dev <interface> mtu 1500
Disable XDP on vulnerable interfaces
linuxRemove XDP programs from ice driver interfaces to prevent multi-buffer XDP processing
ip link set dev <interface> xdp off
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system memory usage and implement alerts for unusual memory consumption patterns
- Implement network segmentation to restrict access to vulnerable interfaces
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify ice driver is loaded: 'lsmod | grep ice' and 'uname -r' to compare against affected versionsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits: 'git log --oneline | grep -E "80555adb5c892f0e21d243ae96ed997ee520aea9|84bf1ac85af84d354c7a2fdbdc0d4efc8aaec34b|fcb5718ebfe7fd64144e3399280440cce361a3ae"'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- Memory allocation failures in dmesg
- Network interface errors or resets
Network Indicators:
- Unusual packet patterns with jumbo frames
- Increased packet loss on ice interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "oom-killer" OR "page allocation failure") AND process="ice"