CVE-2025-68202 sched_ext: Fix unsafe locking in the scx_dump_state()
A race condition in the Linux kernel scheduler can cause a deadlock and system crash when running with PREEMPT_RT enabled.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2025-68202?
CVE-2025-68202 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 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:
sched_ext: Fix unsafe locking in the scx_dump_state()
For built with CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT=y kernels, the dump_lock will be converted sleepable spinlock and not disable-irq, so the following scenarios occur:
inconsistent {IN-HARDIRQ-W} -> {HARDIRQ-ON-W} usage. irq_work/0/27 [HC0[0]:SC0[0]:HE1:SE1] takes: (&rq->__lock){?...}-{2:2}, at: raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x2b/0x40 {IN-HARDIRQ-W} state was registered at: lock_acquire+0x1e1/0x510 _raw_spin_lock_nested+0x42/0x80 raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x2b/0x40 sched_tick+0xae/0x7b0 update_process_times+0x14c/0x1b0 tick_periodic+0x62/0x1f0 tick_handle_periodic+0x48/0xf0 timer_interrupt+0x55/0x80 __handle_irq_event_percpu+0x20a/0x5c0 handle_irq_event_percpu+0x18/0xc0 handle_irq_event+0xb5/0x150 handle_level_irq+0x220/0x460 __common_interrupt+0xa2/0x1e0 common_interrupt+0xb0/0xd0 asm_common_interrupt+0x2b/0x40 _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x45/0x80 __setup_irq+0xc34/0x1a30 request_threaded_irq+0x214/0x2f0 hpet_time_init+0x3e/0x60 x86_late_time_init+0x5b/0xb0 start_kernel+0x308/0x410 x86_64_start_reservations+0x1c/0x30 x86_64_start_kernel+0x96/0xa0 common_startup_64+0x13e/0x148
other info that might help us debug this: Possible unsafe locking scenario:
CPU0 ---- lock(&rq->__lock); <Interrupt> lock(&rq->__lock);
*** DEADLOCK ***
stack backtrace: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 27 Comm: irq_work/0 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x8c/0xd0 dump_stack+0x14/0x20 print_usage_bug+0x42e/0x690 mark_lock.part.44+0x867/0xa70 ? __pfx_mark_lock.part.44+0x10/0x10 ? string_nocheck+0x19c/0x310 ? number+0x739/0x9f0 ? __pfx_string_nocheck+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_check_pointer+0x10/0x10 ? kvm_sched_clock_read+0x15/0x30 ? sched_clock_noinstr+0xd/0x20 ? local_clock_noinstr+0x1c/0xe0 __lock_acquire+0xc4b/0x62b0 ? __pfx_format_decode+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_string+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx___lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_vsnprintf+0x10/0x10 lock_acquire+0x1e1/0x510 ? raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x2b/0x40 ? __pfx_lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 ? dump_line+0x12e/0x270 ? raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x20/0x40 _raw_spin_lock_nested+0x42/0x80 ? raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x2b/0x40 raw_spin_rq_lock_nested+0x2b/0x40 scx_dump_state+0x3b3/0x1270 ? finish_task_switch+0x27e/0x840 scx_ops_error_irq_workfn+0x67/0x80 irq_work_single+0x113/0x260 irq_work_run_list.part.3+0x44/0x70 run_irq_workd+0x6b/0x90 ? __pfx_run_irq_workd+0x10/0x10 smpboot_thread_fn+0x529/0x870 ? __pfx_smpboot_thread_fn+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x305/0x3f0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x40/0x70 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK>
This commit therefore use rq_lock_irqsave/irqrestore() to replace rq_lock/unlock() in the scx_dump_state().
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68202?
How do I fix CVE-2025-68202?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-68202 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68202 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2025-68202, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68202, GHSA-9mh6-8446-rm89, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-68202, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68202.