CVE-2025-68788
Description
An information disclosure flaw was found in the Linux kernel's fsnotify subsystem. When monitoring a parent directory like /dev, users could observe ACCESS and MODIFY events on special files (such as /dev/null) that they cannot directly read. This creates a side-channel that could potentially be used to infer activity of other users on the system.
Statement
The practical impact of this side-channel is limited to inferring timing information about when other processes access special device files. No actual file content is exposed, and exploitation requires the attacker to have read access to the parent directory. The referenced research paper demonstrates theoretical attacks but real-world exploitation is constrained.
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 | 2.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | 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 | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
If one trusts the system-event information and executes commands based on it, one could potentially take actions based on a spoofed identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
