// For flags

CVE-2025-37786

net: dsa: free routing table on probe failure

Severity Score

5.5
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: dsa: free routing table on probe failure If complete = true in dsa_tree_setup(), it means that we are the last
switch of the tree which is successfully probing, and we should be
setting up all switches from our probe path. After "complete" becomes true, dsa_tree_setup_cpu_ports() or any
subsequent function may fail. If that happens, the entire tree setup is
in limbo: the first N-1 switches have successfully finished probing
(doing nothing but having allocated persistent memory in the tree's
dst->ports, and maybe dst->rtable), and switch N failed to probe, ending
the tree setup process before anything is tangible from the user's PoV. If switch N fails to probe, its memory (ports) will be freed and removed
from dst->ports. However, the dst->rtable elements pointing to its ports,
as created by dsa_link_touch(), will remain there, and will lead to
use-after-free if dereferenced. If dsa_tree_setup_switches() returns -EPROBE_DEFER, which is entirely
possible because that is where ds->ops->setup() is, we get a kasan
report like this: ==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mv88e6xxx_setup_upstream_port+0x240/0x568
Read of size 8 at addr ffff000004f56020 by task kworker/u8:3/42 Call trace: __asan_report_load8_noabort+0x20/0x30 mv88e6xxx_setup_upstream_port+0x240/0x568 mv88e6xxx_setup+0xebc/0x1eb0 dsa_register_switch+0x1af4/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 Allocated by task 42: __kasan_kmalloc+0x84/0xa0 __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x298/0x490 dsa_switch_touch_ports+0x174/0x3d8 dsa_register_switch+0x800/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 Freed by task 42: __kasan_slab_free+0x48/0x68 kfree+0x138/0x418 dsa_register_switch+0x2694/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 The simplest way to fix the bug is to delete the routing table in its
entirety. dsa_tree_setup_routing_table() has no problem in regenerating
it even if we deleted links between ports other than those of switch N,
because dsa_link_touch() first checks whether the port pair already
exists in dst->rtable, allocating if not. The deletion of the routing table in its entirety already exists in
dsa_tree_teardown(), so refactor that into a function that can also be
called from the tree setup error path. In my analysis of the commit to blame, it is the one which added
dsa_link elements to dst->rtable. Prior to that, each switch had its own
ds->rtable which is freed when the switch fails to probe. But the tree
is potentially persistent memory.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: dsa: free routing table on probe failure If complete = true in dsa_tree_setup(), it means that we are the last switch of the tree which is successfully probing, and we should be setting up all switches from our probe path. After "complete" becomes true, dsa_tree_setup_cpu_ports() or any subsequent function may fail. If that happens, the entire tree setup is in limbo: the first N-1 switches have successfully finished probing (doing nothing but having allocated persistent memory in the tree's dst->ports, and maybe dst->rtable), and switch N failed to probe, ending the tree setup process before anything is tangible from the user's PoV. If switch N fails to probe, its memory (ports) will be freed and removed from dst->ports. However, the dst->rtable elements pointing to its ports, as created by dsa_link_touch(), will remain there, and will lead to use-after-free if dereferenced. If dsa_tree_setup_switches() returns -EPROBE_DEFER, which is entirely possible because that is where ds->ops->setup() is, we get a kasan report like this: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mv88e6xxx_setup_upstream_port+0x240/0x568 Read of size 8 at addr ffff000004f56020 by task kworker/u8:3/42 Call trace: __asan_report_load8_noabort+0x20/0x30 mv88e6xxx_setup_upstream_port+0x240/0x568 mv88e6xxx_setup+0xebc/0x1eb0 dsa_register_switch+0x1af4/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 Allocated by task 42: __kasan_kmalloc+0x84/0xa0 __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x298/0x490 dsa_switch_touch_ports+0x174/0x3d8 dsa_register_switch+0x800/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 Freed by task 42: __kasan_slab_free+0x48/0x68 kfree+0x138/0x418 dsa_register_switch+0x2694/0x2ae0 mv88e6xxx_register_switch+0x1b8/0x2a8 mv88e6xxx_probe+0xc4c/0xf60 mdio_probe+0x78/0xb8 really_probe+0x2b8/0x5a8 __driver_probe_device+0x164/0x298 driver_probe_device+0x78/0x258 __device_attach_driver+0x274/0x350 The simplest way to fix the bug is to delete the routing table in its entirety. dsa_tree_setup_routing_table() has no problem in regenerating it even if we deleted links between ports other than those of switch N, because dsa_link_touch() first checks whether the port pair already exists in dst->rtable, allocating if not. The deletion of the routing table in its entirety already exists in dsa_tree_teardown(), so refactor that into a function that can also be called from the tree setup error path. In my analysis of the commit to blame, it is the one which added dsa_link elements to dst->rtable. Prior to that, each switch had its own ds->rtable which is freed when the switch fails to probe. But the tree is potentially persistent memory.

This update provides the initial livepatch for this kernel update. This update does not contain any fixes and will be updated with livepatches later.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Complete
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2025-04-16 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-05-01 CVE Published
  • 2025-05-26 CVE Updated
  • 2025-08-31 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 5.5 < 6.6.88
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.5 < 6.6.88"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 5.5 < 6.12.25
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.5 < 6.12.25"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 5.5 < 6.14.4
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.5 < 6.14.4"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 5.5 < 6.15
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.5 < 6.15"
en
Affected