# CVE-2025-37849: KVM: arm64: Tear down vGIC on failed vCPU creation

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM arm64 vGIC handling allows local attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 May 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-70367, BELL-CVE-2025-37849, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-37849, GHSA-4wfv-x2vf-68j5, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-37849, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-37849, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-37849, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-37849, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37849

## What is CVE-2025-37849?

CVE-2025-37849 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: arm64: Tear down vGIC on failed vCPU creation

If kvm_arch_vcpu_create() fails to share the vCPU page with the
hypervisor, we propagate the error back to the ioctl but leave the
vGIC vCPU data initialised. Note only does this leak the corresponding
memory when the vCPU is destroyed but it can also lead to use-after-free
if the redistributor device handling tries to walk into the vCPU.

Add the missing cleanup to kvm_arch_vcpu_create(), ensuring that the
vGIC vCPU structures are destroyed on error.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-37849?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-37849?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-37849 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37849 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-37849 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-37849 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 9 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37849 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37849/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37849/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-37849
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37849
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-37849

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37849/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.