# CVE-2025-40178: pid: Add a judgment for ns null in pid_nr_ns

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's pid_nr_ns function can cause a kernel panic, leading to a denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Not stated
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Nov 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-70085, BELL-CVE-2025-40178, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-40178, GHSA-5jxr-32rq-mpr8, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-40178, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-40178, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-40178

## What is CVE-2025-40178?

CVE-2025-40178 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 12 Nov 2025. 

### Official description

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

pid: Add a judgment for ns null in pid_nr_ns

__task_pid_nr_ns
        ns = task_active_pid_ns(current);
        pid_nr_ns(rcu_dereference(*task_pid_ptr(task, type)), ns);
                if (pid && ns->level <= pid->level) {

Sometimes null is returned for task_active_pid_ns. Then it will trigger kernel panic in pid_nr_ns.

For example:
	Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000058
	Mem abort info:
	ESR = 0x0000000096000007
	EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits
	SET = 0, FnV = 0
	EA = 0, S1PTW = 0
	FSC = 0x07: level 3 translation fault
	Data abort info:
	ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000007, ISS2 = 0x00000000
	CM = 0, WnR = 0, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0
	GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0
	user pgtable: 4k pages, 39-bit VAs, pgdp=00000002175aa000
	[0000000000000058] pgd=08000002175ab003, p4d=08000002175ab003, pud=08000002175ab003, pmd=08000002175be003, pte=0000000000000000
	pstate: 834000c5 (Nzcv daIF +PAN -UAO +TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
	pc : __task_pid_nr_ns+0x74/0xd0
	lr : __task_pid_nr_ns+0x24/0xd0
	sp : ffffffc08001bd10
	x29: ffffffc08001bd10 x28: ffffffd4422b2000 x27: 0000000000000001
	x26: ffffffd442821168 x25: ffffffd442821000 x24: 00000f89492eab31
	x23: 00000000000000c0 x22: ffffff806f5693c0 x21: ffffff806f5693c0
	x20: 0000000000000001 x19: 0000000000000000 x18: 0000000000000000
	x17: 00000000529c6ef0 x16: 00000000529c6ef0 x15: 00000000023a1adc
	x14: 0000000000000003 x13: 00000000007ef6d8 x12: 001167c391c78800
	x11: 00ffffffffffffff x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : 0000000000000001
	x8 : ffffff80816fa3c0 x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : 49534d702d535449
	x5 : ffffffc080c4c2c0 x4 : ffffffd43ee128c8 x3 : ffffffd43ee124dc
	x2 : 0000000000000000 x1 : 0000000000000001 x0 : ffffff806f5693c0
	Call trace:
	__task_pid_nr_ns+0x74/0xd0
	...
	__handle_irq_event_percpu+0xd4/0x284
	handle_irq_event+0x48/0xb0
	handle_fasteoi_irq+0x160/0x2d8
	generic_handle_domain_irq+0x44/0x60
	gic_handle_irq+0x4c/0x114
	call_on_irq_stack+0x3c/0x74
	do_interrupt_handler+0x4c/0x84
	el1_interrupt+0x34/0x58
	el1h_64_irq_handler+0x18/0x24
	el1h_64_irq+0x68/0x6c
	account_kernel_stack+0x60/0x144
	exit_task_stack_account+0x1c/0x80
	do_exit+0x7e4/0xaf8
	...
	get_signal+0x7bc/0x8d8
	do_notify_resume+0x128/0x828
	el0_svc+0x6c/0x70
	el0t_64_sync_handler+0x68/0xbc
	el0t_64_sync+0x1a8/0x1ac
	Code: 35fffe54 911a02a8 f9400108 b4000128 (b9405a69)
	---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
	Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception in interrupt

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40178?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-40178?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-40178 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-40178 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-40178 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 12 Nov 2025. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: 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-2025-40178/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40178/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40178
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-40178
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-40178

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40178/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.