CVE-2025-39900 net_sched: gen_estimator: fix est_timer() vs CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y
A race condition in the Linux kernel's network scheduler estimator timer can trigger a kernel warning and potential denial of service when PREEMPT_RT is enabled.
- 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-2025-39900?
CVE-2025-39900 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 Oct 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:
net_sched: gen_estimator: fix est_timer() vs CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y
syzbot reported a WARNING in est_timer() [1]
Problem here is that with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y, timer callbacks can be preempted.
Adopt preempt_disable_nested()/preempt_enable_nested() to fix this.
[1] WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 16 at ./include/linux/seqlock.h:221 __seqprop_assert include/linux/seqlock.h:221 [inline] WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 16 at ./include/linux/seqlock.h:221 est_timer+0x6dc/0x9f0 net/core/gen_estimator.c:93 Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 16 Comm: ktimers/0 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT_{RT,(full)} Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/12/2025 RIP: 0010:__seqprop_assert include/linux/seqlock.h:221 [inline] RIP: 0010:est_timer+0x6dc/0x9f0 net/core/gen_estimator.c:93 Call Trace: <TASK> call_timer_fn+0x17e/0x5f0 kernel/time/timer.c:1747 expire_timers kernel/time/timer.c:1798 [inline] __run_timers kernel/time/timer.c:2372 [inline] __run_timer_base+0x648/0x970 kernel/time/timer.c:2384 run_timer_base kernel/time/timer.c:2393 [inline] run_timer_softirq+0xb7/0x180 kernel/time/timer.c:2403 handle_softirqs+0x22c/0x710 kernel/softirq.c:579 __do_softirq kernel/softirq.c:613 [inline] run_ktimerd+0xcf/0x190 kernel/softirq.c:1043 smpboot_thread_fn+0x53f/0xa60 kernel/smpboot.c:160 kthread+0x70e/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x3fc/0x770 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:148 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245 </TASK>
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-39900?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-39900?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-39900 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-39900 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2025-39900, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-39900, GHSA-h5gr-wx7g-829q, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-39900.