CVE-2025-39840

HIGH

Linux Kernel 6.14-6.16.5 - Out-of-bounds Read in audit_compare_dname_path()

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix out-of-bounds read in audit_compare_dname_path() When a watch on dir=/ is combined with an fsnotify event for a single-character name directly under / (e.g., creating /a), an out-of-bounds read can occur in audit_compare_dname_path(). The helper parent_len() returns 1 for "/". In audit_compare_dname_path(), when parentlen equals the full path length (1), the code sets p = path + 1 and pathlen = 1 - 1 = 0. The subsequent loop then dereferences p[pathlen - 1] (i.e., p[-1]), causing an out-of-bounds read. Fix this by adding a pathlen > 0 check to the while loop condition to prevent the out-of-bounds access. [PM: subject tweak, sign-off email fixes]

Scores

CVSS v3 7.1
EPSS 0.0014
EPSS Percentile 3.7%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation none
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

CWE
CWE-125
Status published
Products (9)
linux/Kernel 6.14.0 - 6.16.6linux
Linux/Linux < 6.14
Linux/Linux 6.14
Linux/Linux 6.16.6 - 6.16.*
Linux/Linux 6.17
Linux/Linux e92eebb0d6116f942ab25dfb1a41905aa59472a8 - 4540f1d23e7f387880ce46d11b5cd3f27248bf8d
Linux/Linux e92eebb0d6116f942ab25dfb1a41905aa59472a8 - 9735a9dcc307427e7d6336c54171682f1bac9789
linux/linux_kernel 6.17 rc1 (4 CPE variants)
linux/linux_kernel 6.14 - 6.16.6
Published Sep 19, 2025
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026