In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/sched: Return NULL when htb_lookup_leaf encounters an empty rbtree
htb_lookup_leaf has a BUG_ON that can trigger with the following:
tc qdisc del dev lo root
tc qdisc add dev lo root handle 1: htb default 1
tc class add dev lo parent 1: classid 1:1 htb rate 64bit
tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:1 handle 2: netem
tc qdisc add dev lo parent 2:1 handle 3: blackhole
ping -I lo -c1 -W0.001 127.0.0.1
The root cause is the following:
1. htb_dequeue calls htb_dequeue_tree which calls the dequeue handler on
the selected leaf qdisc
2. netem_dequeue calls enqueue on the child qdisc
3. blackhole_enqueue drops the packet and returns a value that is not
just NET_XMIT_SUCCESS
4. Because of this, netem_dequeue calls qdisc_tree_reduce_backlog, and
since qlen is now 0, it calls htb_qlen_notify -> htb_deactivate ->
htb_deactiviate_prios -> htb_remove_class_from_row -> htb_safe_rb_erase
5. As this is the only class in the selected hprio rbtree,
__rb_change_child in __rb_erase_augmented sets the rb_root pointer to
NULL
6. Because blackhole_dequeue returns NULL, netem_dequeue returns NULL,
which causes htb_dequeue_tree to call htb_lookup_leaf with the same
hprio rbtree, and fail the BUG_ON
The function graph for this scenario is shown here:
0) | htb_enqueue() {
0) + 13.635 us | netem_enqueue();
0) 4.719 us | htb_activate_prios();
0) # 2249.199 us | }
0) | htb_dequeue() {
0) 2.355 us | htb_lookup_leaf();
0) | netem_dequeue() {
0) + 11.061 us | blackhole_enqueue();
0) | qdisc_tree_reduce_backlog() {
0) | qdisc_lookup_rcu() {
0) 1.873 us | qdisc_match_from_root();
0) 6.292 us | }
0) 1.894 us | htb_search();
0) | htb_qlen_notify() {
0) 2.655 us | htb_deactivate_prios();
0) 6.933 us | }
0) + 25.227 us | }
0) 1.983 us | blackhole_dequeue();
0) + 86.553 us | }
0) # 2932.761 us | qdisc_warn_nonwc();
0) | htb_lookup_leaf() {
0) | BUG_ON();
------------------------------------------
The full original bug report can be seen here [1].
We can fix this just by returning NULL instead of the BUG_ON,
as htb_dequeue_tree returns NULL when htb_lookup_leaf returns
NULL.
[1] https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/pF5XOOIim0IuEfhI-SOxTgRvNoDwuux7UHKnE_Y5-zVd4wmGvNk2ceHjKb8ORnzw0cGwfmVu42g9dL7XyJLf1NEzaztboTWcm0Ogxuojoeo=@willsroot.io/
References
Configurations
Configuration 1 (hide)
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Configuration 2 (hide)
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History
22 Dec 2025, 19:36
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| CPE | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* |
|
| CVSS |
v2 : v3 : |
v2 : unknown
v3 : 5.5 |
| First Time |
Linux
Debian Debian debian Linux Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CWE | CWE-476 | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0e1d5d9b5c5966e2e42e298670808590db5ed628 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3691f84269a23f7edd263e9b6edbc27b7ae332f4 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c0506cd1b1a3b145bda2612bbf7fe78d186c355 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ff2d83ecf2619060f30ecf9fad4f2a700fca344 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/850226aef8d28a00cf966ef26d2f8f2bff344535 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/890a5d423ef0a7bd13447ceaffad21189f557301 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5c480dc62a3025b8428d4818e722da30ad6804f - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fed3570e548a6c9f95c5f4c9e1a7afc1679fd90d - Patch | |
| References | () https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html - Third Party Advisory | |
| References | () https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html - Third Party Advisory |
03 Nov 2025, 18:16
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| References |
|
28 Aug 2025, 15:15
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| References |
|
29 Jul 2025, 14:14
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Summary |
|
28 Jul 2025, 12:15
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| New CVE |
Information
Published : 2025-07-28 12:15
Updated : 2025-12-22 19:36
NVD link : CVE-2025-38468
Mitre link : CVE-2025-38468
CVE.ORG link : CVE-2025-38468
JSON object : View
Products Affected
debian
- debian_linux
linux
- linux_kernel
CWE
CWE-476
NULL Pointer Dereference
