NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2025-40290

Vulnerability identifier: #VU119338

CSH Severity: Low

CVSS v4: 6.8 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-40290

CWE-ID: CWE-476

Exploitation vector: Local access

Exploit availability: No public exploit available

The vulnerability allows a local user to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The vulnerability exists due to NULL pointer dereference within the xsk_cq_reserve_locked(), xsk_cq_cancel_locked(), xsk_destruct_skb(), xsk_build_skb_zerocopy(), xsk_build_skb() and xsk_init() functions in net/xdp/xsk.c. A local user can perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Linux kernel
Ubuntu
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-6.17 (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime-6.17 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)
linux-oem-6.17 (Ubuntu package)

Install update from vendor's repository.

linux (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.17.0-19.19, 6.17.0-19.19~24.04.2, 6.17.0-1009.9, 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.1, 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.2
linux-gcp-6.17 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.17.0-1008.9, 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.3
linux-realtime-6.17 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.17.0-1008.9~24.04.1
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.17.0-1010.10, 6.17.0-1010.10~24.04.1
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.17.0-1010.10
linux-oem-6.17 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.17.0-1017.17

• https://bugs.debian.org/1118437
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ebc27a4c67d44e5ce88d21cdad8201862b78837
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5ea2e50b5c9aa80c5b53526257540f0c26cd66d

• NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel xdp
• Ubuntu update for linux
• Ubuntu update for linux-gcp-6.17
• Ubuntu update for linux-realtime-6.17
• Ubuntu update for linux-azure
• Ubuntu update for linux-raspi
• Ubuntu update for linux-oem-6.17