CVE-2025-37818

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.15%

Last modified

CVE-2025-37818 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: LoongArch: Return NULL from huge_pte_offset() for invalid PMD LoongArch's huge_pte_offset() currently returns a pointer to a PMD slot even if the underlying entry points to invalid_pte_table (indicating no mapping). Callers like smaps_hugetlb_range() fetch this invalid entry value (the address of invalid_pte_table) via this pointer. The generic is_swap_pte() check then incorrectly identifies this address as a swap entry on LoongArch, because it satisfies the "!pte_present() && !pte_none()" conditions. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: LoongArch: Return NULL from huge_pte_offset() for invalid PMD LoongArch's huge_pte_offset() currently returns a pointer to a PMD slot even if the underlying entry points to invalid_pte_table (indicating no mapping). Callers like smaps_hugetlb_range() fetch this invalid entry value (the address of invalid_pte_table) via this pointer. The generic is_swap_pte() check then incorrectly identifies this address as a swap entry on LoongArch, because it satisfies the "!pte_present() && !pte_none()" conditions. This misinterpretation, combined with a coincidental match by is_migration_entry() on the address bits, leads to kernel crashes in pfn_swap_entry_to_page(). Fix this at the architecture level by modifying huge_pte_offset() to check the PMD entry's content using pmd_none() before returning. If the entry is invalid (i.e., it points to invalid_pte_table), return NULL instead of the pointer to the slot.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.15%

4.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 5.19, < 6.1.136
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.2, < 6.6.89
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.7, < 6.12.26
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.13, < 6.14.5
LinuxLinux Kernel6.15Rc1
DebianDebian Linux11.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-37818?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: LoongArch: Return NULL from huge_pte_offset() for invalid PMD LoongArch's huge_pte_offset() currently returns a pointer to a PMD slot even if the underlying entry points to invalid_pte_table (indicating no mapping). Callers like smaps_hugetlb_range() fetch this invalid entry value (the address of invalid_pte_table) via this pointer. The generic is_swap_pte() check then incorrectly identifies this address as a swap entry on LoongArch, because it satisfies the "!pte_present() && !pte_none()" conditions. This misinterpretation, combined with a coincidental match by is_migration_entry() on the address bits, leads to kernel crashes in pfn_swap_entry_to_page(). Fix this at the architecture level by modifying huge_pte_offset() to check the PMD entry's content using pmd_none() before returning. If the entry is invalid (i.e., it points to invalid_pte_table), return NULL instead of the pointer to the slot.
How severe is CVE-2025-37818?
CVE-2025-37818 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-37818?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-37818?

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Source: NVD / NIST