Critical Vulnerability in Linux Kernel: SRIOV VFs Creation Crash
Summary
CVE-2025-38569: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: benet: fix BUG when creating VFs benet crashes as soon as SRIOV VFs are created: kernel BUG at mm/vmalloc.c:3457! Affects linux versions 5.10.103-1 – 6.9.9-1. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The Linux kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, responsible for managing system resources and facilitating communication between hardware and software. It supports various functionalities, including process management, memory management, and device control. This vulnerability specifically affects the kernel's handling of SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) Virtual Functions (VFs), which are crucial for efficient network resource allocation in virtualized environments.
Vulnerability Detail
In the Linux kernel, a critical vulnerability has been identified that causes a crash when creating SRIOV Virtual Functions (VFs) for the benet driver. The issue arises from a kernel bug located in the memory management subsystem, specifically in the vunmap function. When VFs are created, the system encounters an invalid opcode, leading to a kernel panic. This vulnerability can result in system instability and potential data loss, especially in environments relying on virtualized network functions.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can avoid creating SRIOV VFs until the patch is applied. This can be done by disabling SR-IOV in the system configuration or by not initiating the creation of VFs in the network settings.
Conclusion
The vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel regarding the creation of SRIOV Virtual Functions poses a significant risk to system stability and performance. Users are strongly advised to update their kernel to the latest version to mitigate this issue. For those unable to update immediately, disabling SR-IOV serves as a temporary measure.
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FAQ
SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) is a technology that allows a single physical network device to present itself as multiple virtual devices, enabling efficient resource allocation in virtualized environments.
The primary symptom of this vulnerability is a kernel panic or crash when attempting to create SRIOV Virtual Functions, leading to system instability.
You can use the Vulert platform to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. By uploading your manifest file, such as package-lock.json, you can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability.
Yes, the permanent fix is to update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version provided by your distribution, which resolves the vulnerability.
If immediate updates are not possible, consider disabling SR-IOV functionality as a temporary workaround until the patch can be applied.
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