CVE-2025-39691 fs/buffer: fix use-after-free when call bh_read() helper
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's buffer handling during NTFS3 mount can cause a stack overrun, leading to system crashes or potential code execution.
- 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
What is CVE-2025-39691?
CVE-2025-39691 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 5 Sep 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:
fs/buffer: fix use-after-free when call bh_read() helper
There's issue as follows: BUG: KASAN: stack-out-of-bounds in end_buffer_read_sync+0xe3/0x110 Read of size 8 at addr ffffc9000168f7f8 by task swapper/3/0 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/3 Not tainted 6.16.0-862.14.0.6.x86_64 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack_lvl+0x55/0x70 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390 print_report+0xb4/0x270 kasan_report+0xb8/0xf0 end_buffer_read_sync+0xe3/0x110 end_bio_bh_io_sync+0x56/0x80 blk_update_request+0x30a/0x720 scsi_end_request+0x51/0x2b0 scsi_io_completion+0xe3/0x480 ? scsi_device_unbusy+0x11e/0x160 blk_complete_reqs+0x7b/0x90 handle_softirqs+0xef/0x370 irq_exit_rcu+0xa5/0xd0 sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x6e/0x90 </IRQ>
Above issue happens when do ntfs3 filesystem mount, issue may happens as follows: mount IRQ ntfs_fill_super read_cache_page do_read_cache_folio filemap_read_folio mpage_read_folio do_mpage_readpage ntfs_get_block_vbo bh_read submit_bh wait_on_buffer(bh); blk_complete_reqs scsi_io_completion scsi_end_request blk_update_request end_bio_bh_io_sync end_buffer_read_sync __end_buffer_read_notouch unlock_buffer
wait_on_buffer(bh);--> return will return to caller
put_bh --> trigger stack-out-of-bounds In the mpage_read_folio() function, the stack variable 'map_bh' is passed to ntfs_get_block_vbo(). Once unlock_buffer() unlocks and wait_on_buffer() returns to continue processing, the stack variable is likely to be reclaimed. Consequently, during the end_buffer_read_sync() process, calling put_bh() may result in stack overrun.
If the bh is not allocated on the stack, it belongs to a folio. Freeing a buffer head which belongs to a folio is done by drop_buffers() which will fail to free buffers which are still locked. So it is safe to call put_bh() before __end_buffer_read_notouch().
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-39691?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-39691?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2025-39691 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-39691 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-67019, AZL-73710, BELL-CVE-2025-39691, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-39691, GHSA-6684-j5cx-q9qw, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-39691 and 5 more.