Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-39689

Memory Safety in Linux Kernel 4.12 – 5.4.297

Published
05 September 2025
Modified
12 May 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0017 6th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-39689 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked at the 6th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: Also allocate and copy hash for reading of filter files Currently the reader of set_ftrace_filter and set_ftrace_notrace just adds the pointer to the global tracer hash to its iterator.…

more

Unlike the writer that allocates a copy of the hash, the reader keeps the pointer to the filter hashes. This is problematic because this pointer is static across function calls that release the locks that can update the global tracer hashes. This can cause UAF and similar bugs. Allocate and copy the hash for reading the filter files like it is done for the writers. This not only fixes UAF bugs, but also makes the code a bit simpler as it doesn't have to differentiate when to free the iterator's hash between writers and readers.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-38578Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-37885Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-26689Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-35867Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-39826Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-42314Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-39877Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-26598Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2023-52572Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-38476Same product: Debian Debian Linux

Affected Assets

linux
linux kernel
6.17 · 4.12 — 5.4.297 · 5.5 — 5.10.241 · 5.11 — 5.15.190
debian
debian linux
11.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)
  • SI-16 Memory Protection
  • SA-11 Developer Testing and Evaluation
  • SA-15 Development Process, Standards, and Tools
Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.4.3

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

prevent

Directly requires memory protection mechanisms that prevent use-after-free access to shared kernel hash structures.

prevent

Requires developer testing and evaluation that can detect UAF bugs in ftrace filter hash handling before release.

prevent

Mandates secure development processes and tools that enforce proper allocation and copying of dynamic kernel data structures.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly incorporate memory-safety tooling and reviews that prevent most use-after-free defects.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability identification processes can discover use-after-free issues via scanning or analysis but do not prevent their introduction.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching removes known use-after-free instances after they have been introduced in released software.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

detects

Security testing in development can detect use-after-free bugs before release.

prevents

Secure SDLC mandates memory-safety practices that reduce use-after-free defects.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify memory-management rules that mitigate use-after-free.

prevents

Secure architecture principles include memory-safety design choices that limit use-after-free exposure.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly prescribe avoidance of use-after-free patterns.

prevents

Change-management processes help ensure memory-safety fixes are deployed consistently.

References