// For flags

CVE-2025-38140

dm: limit swapping tables for devices with zone write plugs

Severity Score

7.1
*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: dm: limit swapping tables for devices with zone write plugs dm_revalidate_zones() only allowed new or previously unzoned devices to
call blk_revalidate_disk_zones(). If the device was already zoned,
disk->nr_zones would always equal md->nr_zones, so dm_revalidate_zones()
returned without doing any work. This would make the zoned settings for
the device not match the new table. If the device had zone write plug
resources, it could run into errors like bdev_zone_is_seq() reading
invalid memory because disk->conv_zones_bitmap was the wrong size. If the device doesn't have any zone write plug resources, calling
blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will always correctly update device. If
blk_revalidate_disk_zones() fails, it can still overwrite or clear the
current disk->nr_zones value. In this case, DM must restore the previous
value of disk->nr_zones, so that the zoned settings will continue to
match the previous value that it fell back to. If the device already has zone write plug resources,
blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will not correctly update them, if it is
called for arbitrary zoned device changes. Since there is not much need
for this ability, the easiest solution is to disallow any table reloads
that change the zoned settings, for devices that already have zone plug
resources. Specifically, if a device already has zone plug resources
allocated, it can only switch to another zoned table that also emulates
zone append. Also, it cannot change the device size or the zone size. A
device can switch to an error target.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm: limit swapping tables for devices with zone write plugs dm_revalidate_zones() only allowed new or previously unzoned devices to call blk_revalidate_disk_zones(). If the device was already zoned, disk->nr_zones would always equal md->nr_zones, so dm_revalidate_zones() returned without doing any work. This would make the zoned settings for the device not match the new table. If the device had zone write plug resources, it could run into errors like bdev_zone_is_seq() reading invalid memory because disk->conv_zones_bitmap was the wrong size. If the device doesn't have any zone write plug resources, calling blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will always correctly update device. If blk_revalidate_disk_zones() fails, it can still overwrite or clear the current disk->nr_zones value. In this case, DM must restore the previous value of disk->nr_zones, so that the zoned settings will continue to match the previous value that it fell back to. If the device already has zone write plug resources, blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will not correctly update them, if it is called for arbitrary zoned device changes. Since there is not much need for this ability, the easiest solution is to disallow any table reloads that change the zoned settings, for devices that already have zone plug resources. Specifically, if a device already has zone plug resources allocated, it can only switch to another zoned table that also emulates zone append. Also, it cannot change the device size or the zone size. A device can switch to an error target.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Complete
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2025-04-16 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-07-03 CVE Published
  • 2025-07-03 CVE Updated
  • 2025-07-09 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"
>= 5.14 < 6.15.3
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.14 < 6.15.3"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 5.14 < 6.16-rc1
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.14 < 6.16-rc1"
en
Affected