CVE-2025-39840

audit: fix out-of-bounds read in audit_compare_dname_path()

HIGH
7.1
CVSS Score
Published: September 19, 2025 at 03:26 PM UTC
Updated: October 19, 2026 at 09:10 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.1
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix out-of-bounds read in audit_compare_dname_path() When a watch on dir=/ is combined with an fsnotify event for a single-character name directly under / (e.g., creating /a), an out-of-bounds read can occur in audit_compare_dname_path(). The helper parent_len() returns 1 for "/". In audit_compare_dname_path(), when parentlen equals the full path length (1), the code sets p = path + 1 and pathlen = 1 - 1 = 0. The subsequent loop then dereferences p[pathlen - 1] (i.e., p[-1]), causing an out-of-bounds read. Fix this by adding a pathlen > 0 check to the while loop condition to prevent the out-of-bounds access. [PM: subject tweak, sign-off email fixes]

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.14 ≤ v < 6.16.66.146.176.17 rc16.17 rc26.17 rc36.17 rc4e92eebb0d6116f942ab25dfb1a41905aa59472a8
Vendor states this is fixed in 4540f1d23e7f387880ce46d11b5cd3f27248bf8d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9735a9dcc307427e7d6336c54171682f1bac9789 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.14 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.16.6 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.17 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.1HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-125

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