CVE-2025-61662 Grub2: missing unregister call for gettext command may lead to use-after-free
An attacker can trigger a use-after-free in GRUB's gettext module, causing a denial of service and potentially compromising data integrity or confidentiality.
- 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-2025-61662?
CVE-2025-61662 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in GNU Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 18 Nov 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
A Use-After-Free vulnerability has been discovered in GRUB's gettext module. This flaw stems from a programming error where the gettext command remains registered in memory after its module is unloaded. An attacker can exploit this condition by invoking the orphaned command, causing the application to access a memory location that is no longer valid. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause grub to crash, leading to a Denial of Service. Possible data integrity or confidentiality compromise is not discarded.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-61662?
It affects 1 product.
Linux distribution packages (40)
grub2-common AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64-modules AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64-modules AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2.alma.1 |
grub2-pc-modules AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2.alma.1 |
grub2-ppc64le-modules AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2.alma.1 |
grub2-common AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64 AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64-cdboot AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64-modules AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-ia32 AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-ia32-cdboot AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-ia32-modules AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64 AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64-cdboot AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64-modules AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-pc AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-pc-modules AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-ppc64le AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-ppc64le-modules AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-efi AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-extra AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-minimal AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:2.02-170.el8_10.1.alma.1 |
grub2-common AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64 AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64-cdboot AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-aa64-modules AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64 AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64-cdboot AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-efi-x64-modules AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-pc AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-pc-modules AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-ppc64le AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-ppc64le-modules AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-efi AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-extra AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2-tools-minimal AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:2.06-114.el9_7.1.alma.1 |
grub2 Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.1 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2 |
grub2-common Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.1 | All versions | 1:2.12-29.el10_1.2 |
Products include Gnu Grub2.
How do I fix CVE-2025-61662?
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-2025-61662 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-61662 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in GNU Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- CVE-2024-56737 Memory corruption in GRUB2
- CVE-2022-28733 Integer underflow in grub_net_recv_ip4_packets
- CVE-2022-28734 Out-of-bounds write when handling split HTTP headers
- CVE-2024-45782 Grub2: fs/hfs: strcpy() using the volume name (fs/hfs.c:382)
- CVE-2025-0678 Grub2: squash4: integer overflow may lead to heap based out-of-bounds write when reading data
Sources
Also known as ALSA-2026:4648, ALSA-2026:4649, ALSA-2026:4760, AZL-70520, AZL-70565, CLSA-2026-1771331675 and 25 more.