CVE-2025-68779
Description
A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the Mellanox mlx5 Ethernet driver in the Linux kernel. The PSP (Platform Security Processor) component is unregistered twice during device removal - once in _mlx5e_remove() and again in mlx5e_nic_cleanup(). This double unregistration causes a refcount underflow, triggering a use-after-free condition.
Statement
This vulnerability affects systems with Mellanox ConnectX network adapters during device removal or driver unload operations. The refcount underflow could potentially be exploited but requires precise timing during driver cleanup. The primary impact is a kernel warning and potential instability rather than arbitrary code execution.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent the mlx5_core module from being loaded if Mellanox ConnectX network devices are not required. See https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for instructions on how to blacklist a kernel module.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Availability,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
This weakness may result in the corruption of memory, and perhaps instructions, possibly leading to a crash. If the corrupted memory can be effectively controlled, it may be possible to execute arbitrary code.
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