CVE-2025-40341 futex: Don't leak robust_list pointer on exec race
A race condition in the Linux kernel allows local attackers to leak sensitive memory addresses from privileged processes during exec transitions.
- 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-2025-40341?
CVE-2025-40341 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 9 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:
futex: Don't leak robust_list pointer on exec race
sys_get_robust_list() and compat_get_robust_list() use ptrace_may_access() to check if the calling task is allowed to access another task's robust_list pointer. This check is racy against a concurrent exec() in the target process.
During exec(), a task may transition from a non-privileged binary to a privileged one (e.g., setuid binary) and its credentials/memory mappings may change. If get_robust_list() performs ptrace_may_access() before this transition, it may erroneously allow access to sensitive information after the target becomes privileged.
A racy access allows an attacker to exploit a window during which ptrace_may_access() passes before a target process transitions to a privileged state via exec().
For example, consider a non-privileged task T that is about to execute a setuid-root binary. An attacker task A calls get_robust_list(T) while T is still unprivileged. Since ptrace_may_access() checks permissions based on current credentials, it succeeds. However, if T begins exec immediately afterwards, it becomes privileged and may change its memory mappings. Because get_robust_list() proceeds to access T->robust_list without synchronizing with exec() it may read user-space pointers from a now-privileged process.
This violates the intended post-exec access restrictions and could expose sensitive memory addresses or be used as a primitive in a larger exploit chain. Consequently, the race can lead to unauthorized disclosure of information across privilege boundaries and poses a potential security risk.
Take a read lock on signal->exec_update_lock prior to invoking ptrace_may_access() and accessing the robust_list/compat_robust_list. This ensures that the target task's exec state remains stable during the check, allowing for consistent and synchronized validation of credentials.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40341?
How do I fix CVE-2025-40341?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-40341 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40341 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2025-40341, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-40341, GHSA-j584-qjqw-5mpw, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-40341, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-40341, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-40341 and 3 more.