CVE-2025-40244 hfsplus: fix KMSAN uninit-value issue in __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent()
A local attacker can trigger an uninitialized value bug in the HFS+ filesystem driver, potentially leaking kernel memory contents.
- 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-2025-40244?
CVE-2025-40244 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 4 Dec 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:
hfsplus: fix KMSAN uninit-value issue in __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent()
The syzbot reported issue in __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent():
[ 70.194323][ T9350] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent+0x7d0/0x990 [ 70.195022][ T9350] __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent+0x7d0/0x990 [ 70.195530][ T9350] hfsplus_file_extend+0x74f/0x1cf0 [ 70.195998][ T9350] hfsplus_get_block+0xe16/0x17b0 [ 70.196458][ T9350] __block_write_begin_int+0x962/0x2ce0 [ 70.196959][ T9350] cont_write_begin+0x1000/0x1950 [ 70.197416][ T9350] hfsplus_write_begin+0x85/0x130 [ 70.197873][ T9350] generic_perform_write+0x3e8/0x1060 [ 70.198374][ T9350] __generic_file_write_iter+0x215/0x460 [ 70.198892][ T9350] generic_file_write_iter+0x109/0x5e0 [ 70.199393][ T9350] vfs_write+0xb0f/0x14e0 [ 70.199771][ T9350] ksys_write+0x23e/0x490 [ 70.200149][ T9350] __x64_sys_write+0x97/0xf0 [ 70.200570][ T9350] x64_sys_call+0x3015/0x3cf0 [ 70.201065][ T9350] do_syscall_64+0xd9/0x1d0 [ 70.201506][ T9350] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f [ 70.202054][ T9350] [ 70.202279][ T9350] Uninit was created at: [ 70.202693][ T9350] __kmalloc_noprof+0x621/0xf80 [ 70.203149][ T9350] hfsplus_find_init+0x8d/0x1d0 [ 70.203602][ T9350] hfsplus_file_extend+0x6ca/0x1cf0 [ 70.204087][ T9350] hfsplus_get_block+0xe16/0x17b0 [ 70.204561][ T9350] __block_write_begin_int+0x962/0x2ce0 [ 70.205074][ T9350] cont_write_begin+0x1000/0x1950 [ 70.205547][ T9350] hfsplus_write_begin+0x85/0x130 [ 70.206017][ T9350] generic_perform_write+0x3e8/0x1060 [ 70.206519][ T9350] __generic_file_write_iter+0x215/0x460 [ 70.207042][ T9350] generic_file_write_iter+0x109/0x5e0 [ 70.207552][ T9350] vfs_write+0xb0f/0x14e0 [ 70.207961][ T9350] ksys_write+0x23e/0x490 [ 70.208375][ T9350] __x64_sys_write+0x97/0xf0 [ 70.208810][ T9350] x64_sys_call+0x3015/0x3cf0 [ 70.209255][ T9350] do_syscall_64+0xd9/0x1d0 [ 70.209680][ T9350] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f [ 70.210230][ T9350] [ 70.210454][ T9350] CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 9350 Comm: repro Not tainted 6.12.0-rc5 #5 [ 70.211174][ T9350] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 [ 70.212115][ T9350] ===================================================== [ 70.212734][ T9350] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint [ 70.213284][ T9350] Kernel panic - not syncing: kmsan.panic set ... [ 70.213858][ T9350] CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 9350 Comm: repro Tainted: G B 6.12.0-rc5 #5 [ 70.214679][ T9350] Tainted: [B]=BAD_PAGE [ 70.215057][ T9350] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 [ 70.215999][ T9350] Call Trace: [ 70.216309][ T9350] <TASK> [ 70.216585][ T9350] dump_stack_lvl+0x1fd/0x2b0 [ 70.217025][ T9350] dump_stack+0x1e/0x30 [ 70.217421][ T9350] panic+0x502/0xca0 [ 70.217803][ T9350] ? kmsan_get_metadata+0x13e/0x1c0
[ 70.218294][ Message fromT sy9350] kmsan_report+0x296/slogd@syzkaller 0x2aat Aug 18 22:11:058 ... kernel :[ 70.213284][ T9350] Kernel panic - not syncing: kmsan.panic [ 70.220179][ T9350] ? kmsan_get_metadata+0x13e/0x1c0 set ... [ 70.221254][ T9350] ? __msan_warning+0x96/0x120 [ 70.222066][ T9350] ? __hfsplus_ext_cache_extent+0x7d0/0x990 [ 70.223023][ T9350] ? hfsplus_file_extend+0x74f/0x1cf0 [ 70.224120][ T9350] ? hfsplus_get_block+0xe16/0x17b0 [ 70.224946][ T9350] ? __block_write_begin_int+0x962/0x2ce0 [ 70.225756][ T9350] ? cont_write_begin+0x1000/0x1950 [ 70.226337][ T9350] ? hfsplus_write_begin+0x85/0x130 [ 70.226852][ T9350] ? generic_perform_write+0x3e8/0x1060 [ 70.227405][ T9350] ? __generic_file_write_iter+0x215/0x460 [ 70.227979][ T9350] ? generic_file_write_iter+0x109/0x5e0 [ 70.228540][ T9350] ? vfs_write+0xb0f/0x14e0 [ 70.228997][ T9350] ? ksys_write+0x23e/0x490 ---truncated---
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40244?
How do I fix CVE-2025-40244?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-40244 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40244 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2025-40244, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-40244, GHSA-38x9-7hc9-22jf, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-40244, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-40244, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-40244.