In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
rcu: Protect ->defer_qs_iw_pending from data race
On kernels built with CONFIG_IRQ_WORK=y, when rcu_read_unlock() is
invoked within an interrupts-disabled region of code [1], it will invoke
rcu_read_unlock_special(), which uses an irq-work handler to force the
system to notice when the RCU read-side critical section actually ends.
That end won't happen until interrupts are enabled at the soonest.
In some kernels, such as those booted with rcutree.use_softirq=y, the
irq-work handler is used unconditionally.
The per-CPU rcu_data structure's ->defer_qs_iw_pending field is
updated by the irq-work handler and is both read and updated by
rcu_read_unlock_special(). This resulted in the following KCSAN splat:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUG: KCSAN: data-race in rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_handler / rcu_read_unlock_special
read to 0xffff96b95f42d8d8 of 1 bytes by task 90 on cpu 8:
rcu_read_unlock_special+0x175/0x260
__rcu_read_unlock+0x92/0xa0
rt_spin_unlock+0x9b/0xc0
__local_bh_enable+0x10d/0x170
__local_bh_enable_ip+0xfb/0x150
rcu_do_batch+0x595/0xc40
rcu_cpu_kthread+0x4e9/0x830
smpboot_thread_fn+0x24d/0x3b0
kthread+0x3bd/0x410
ret_from_fork+0x35/0x40
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
write to 0xffff96b95f42d8d8 of 1 bytes by task 88 on cpu 8:
rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_handler+0x1e/0x30
irq_work_single+0xaf/0x160
run_irq_workd+0x91/0xc0
smpboot_thread_fn+0x24d/0x3b0
kthread+0x3bd/0x410
ret_from_fork+0x35/0x40
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
no locks held by irq_work/8/88.
irq event stamp: 200272
hardirqs last enabled at (200272): [<ffffffffb0f56121>] finish_task_switch+0x131/0x320
hardirqs last disabled at (200271): [<ffffffffb25c7859>] __schedule+0x129/0xd70
softirqs last enabled at (0): [<ffffffffb0ee093f>] copy_process+0x4df/0x1cc0
softirqs last disabled at (0): [<0000000000000000>] 0x0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The problem is that irq-work handlers run with interrupts enabled, which
means that rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_handler() could be interrupted,
and that interrupt handler might contain an RCU read-side critical
section, which might invoke rcu_read_unlock_special(). In the strict
KCSAN mode of operation used by RCU, this constitutes a data race on
the ->defer_qs_iw_pending field.
This commit therefore disables interrupts across the portion of the
rcu_preempt_deferred_qs_handler() that updates the ->defer_qs_iw_pending
field. This suffices because this handler is not a fast path.
References
Configurations
Configuration 1 (hide)
|
Configuration 2 (hide)
|
History
09 Jan 2026, 19:04
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| CVSS |
v2 : v3 : |
v2 : unknown
v3 : 7.0 |
| CPE | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* |
|
| CWE | NVD-CWE-noinfo | |
| First Time |
Linux
Debian Debian debian Linux Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ad84d62217488e679ecc90e8628980dcc003de3 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55e11f6776798b27cf09a7aa0d718415d4fc9cf5 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74f58f382a7c8333f8d09701aefaa25913bdbe0e - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90c09d57caeca94e6f3f87c49e96a91edd40cbfd - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90de9c94ea72327cfa9c2c9f6113c23a513af60b - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b55947b725f190396f475d5d0c59aa855a4d8895 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b5de8d80b5d049f051b95d9b1ee50ae4ab656124 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e35e711c78c8a4c43330c0dcb1c4d507a19c20f4 - Patch | |
| References | () https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f937759c7432d6151b73e1393b6517661813d506 - Patch | |
| References | () https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html - Third Party Advisory, Mailing List | |
| References | () https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html - Third Party Advisory, Mailing List |
03 Nov 2025, 18:16
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| References |
|
11 Sep 2025, 17:15
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| New CVE |
Information
Published : 2025-09-11 17:15
Updated : 2026-01-09 19:04
NVD link : CVE-2025-39749
Mitre link : CVE-2025-39749
CVE.ORG link : CVE-2025-39749
JSON object : View
Products Affected
debian
- debian_linux
linux
- linux_kernel
CWE
