CVE-2025-39866 fs: writeback: fix use-after-free in __mark_inode_dirty()
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel writeback subsystem allows local attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via race conditions.
- 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-2025-39866?
CVE-2025-39866 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 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: writeback: fix use-after-free in __mark_inode_dirty()
An use-after-free issue occurred when __mark_inode_dirty() get the bdi_writeback that was in the progress of switching.
CPU: 1 PID: 562 Comm: systemd-random- Not tainted 6.6.56-gb4403bd46a8e #1 ...... pstate: 60400005 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) pc : __mark_inode_dirty+0x124/0x418 lr : __mark_inode_dirty+0x118/0x418 sp : ffffffc08c9dbbc0 ........ Call trace: __mark_inode_dirty+0x124/0x418 generic_update_time+0x4c/0x60 file_modified+0xcc/0xd0 ext4_buffered_write_iter+0x58/0x124 ext4_file_write_iter+0x54/0x704 vfs_write+0x1c0/0x308 ksys_write+0x74/0x10c __arm64_sys_write+0x1c/0x28 invoke_syscall+0x48/0x114 el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0xc0/0xe0 do_el0_svc+0x1c/0x28 el0_svc+0x40/0xe4 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x120/0x12c el0t_64_sync+0x194/0x198
Root cause is:
systemd-random-seed kworker ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ___mark_inode_dirty inode_switch_wbs_work_fn
spin_lock(&inode->i_lock); inode_attach_wb locked_inode_to_wb_and_lock_list get inode->i_wb spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock); spin_lock(&wb->list_lock) spin_lock(&inode->i_lock) inode_io_list_move_locked spin_unlock(&wb->list_lock) spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock) spin_lock(&old_wb->list_lock) inode_do_switch_wbs spin_lock(&inode->i_lock) inode->i_wb = new_wb spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock) spin_unlock(&old_wb->list_lock) wb_put_many(old_wb, nr_switched) cgwb_release old wb released wb_wakeup_delayed() accesses wb, then trigger the use-after-free issue
Fix this race condition by holding inode spinlock until wb_wakeup_delayed() finished.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-39866?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-39866?
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-2025-39866 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-39866 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-67578, AZL-75119, BELL-CVE-2025-39866, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-39866, GHSA-65ww-5pr7-752v, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-39866 and 5 more.