# CVE-2025-68374: md: fix rcu protection in md_wakeup_thread

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's md subsystem allows local attackers to potentially escalate privileges or cause a system crash.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-73162, BELL-CVE-2025-68374, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68374, GHSA-56x5-2pg4-9qq2, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-68374, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68374

## What is CVE-2025-68374?

CVE-2025-68374 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 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:

md: fix rcu protection in md_wakeup_thread

We attempted to use RCU to protect the pointer 'thread', but directly
passed the value when calling md_wakeup_thread(). This means that the
RCU pointer has been acquired before rcu_read_lock(), which renders
rcu_read_lock() ineffective and could lead to a use-after-free.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68374?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-68374?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-68374 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68374 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-68374 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-68374 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68374 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-2025-68374/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68374/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68374
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68374
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-68374

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68374/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.