CVE-2025-68742: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix invalid prog->stats access when update_effective_progs fails Syzkaller ...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix invalid prog->stats access when update_effective_progs fails Syzkaller triggers an invalid memory access issue following fault injection in update_effective_progs. The issue can be described as follows: __cgroup_bpf_detach update_effective_progs compute_effective_progs bpf_prog_array_alloc <-- fault inject purge_effective_progs /* change to dummy_bpf_prog */ array->items[index] = &dummy_bpf_prog.prog ---softirq start--- __do_softirq ... __cgroup_bpf_run_filter_skb __bpf_prog_run_save_cb bpf_prog_run stats = this_cpu_ptr(prog->stats) /* invalid memory access */ flags = u64_stats_update_begin_irqsave(&stats->syncp) ---softirq end--- static_branch_dec(&cgroup_bpf_enabled_key[atype]) The reason is that fault injection caused update_effective_progs to fail and then changed the original prog into dummy_bpf_prog.prog in purge_effective_progs. Then a softirq came, and accessing the members of dummy_bpf_prog.prog in the softirq triggers invalid mem access. To fix it, skip updating stats when stats is NULL.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.19%

8.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

References

Timeline

Published: Dec 24, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Deferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-68742?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix invalid prog->stats access when update_effective_progs fails Syzkaller triggers an invalid memory access issue following fault injection in update_effective_progs. The issue can be described as follows: __cgroup_bpf_detach update_effective_progs compute_effective_progs bpf_prog_array_alloc <-- fault inject purge_effective_progs /* change to dummy_bpf_prog */ array->items[index] = &dummy_bpf_prog.prog ---softirq start--- __do_softirq ... __cgroup_bpf_run_filter_skb __bpf_prog_run_save_cb bpf_prog_run stats = this_cpu_ptr(prog->stats) /* invalid memory access */ flags = u64_stats_update_begin_irqsave(&stats->syncp) ---softirq end--- static_branch_dec(&cgroup_bpf_enabled_key[atype]) The reason is that fault injection caused update_effective_progs to fail and then changed the original prog into dummy_bpf_prog.prog in purge_effective_progs. Then a softirq came, and accessing the members of dummy_bpf_prog.prog in the softirq triggers invalid mem access. To fix it, skip updating stats when stats is NULL.

How severe is CVE-2025-68742?

Severity scoring for CVE-2025-68742 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.19% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-68742?

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.