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CVE Record

CVE-2025-39723: netfs: Fix unbuffered write error handling

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix unbuffered write error handling If all the subrequests in an unbuffered write stream fail, the subrequest collector doesn't update the stream->transferred value and it retains its initial LONG_MAX value. Unfortunately, if all active streams fail, then we take the smallest value of { LONG_MAX, LONG_MAX, ... } as the value to set in wreq->transferred - which is then returned from ->write_iter(). LONG_MAX was chosen as the initial value so that all the streams can be quickly assessed by taking the smallest value of all stream->transferred - but this only works if we've set any of them. Fix this by adding a flag to indicate whether the value in stream->transferred is valid and checking that when we integrate the values. stream->transferred can then be initialised to zero. This was found by running the generic/750 xfstest against cifs with cache=none. It splices data to the target file. Once (if) it has used up all the available scratch space, the writes start failing with ENOSPC. This causes ->write_iter() to fail. However, it was returning wreq->transferred, i.e. LONG_MAX, rather than an error (because it thought the amount transferred was non-zero) and iter_file_splice_write() would then try to clean up that amount of pipe bufferage - leading to an oops when it overran. The kernel log showed: CIFS: VFS: Send error in write = -28 followed by: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008 with: RIP: 0010:iter_file_splice_write+0x3a4/0x520 do_splice+0x197/0x4e0 or: RIP: 0010:pipe_buf_release (include/linux/pipe_fs_i.h:282) iter_file_splice_write (fs/splice.c:755) Also put a warning check into splice to announce if ->write_iter() returned that it had written more than it was asked to.

HighCVSS 7.1Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A Linux network-filesystem write failure can be reported as an impossibly large successful write. Subsequent splice cleanup may overrun pipe-buffer bookkeeping and trigger a kernel null-pointer dereference, crashing the system. The documented case involved CIFS with cache=none after storage exhaustion caused every write request to fail.

Executive priority

Treat this as a high-priority availability issue for Linux servers using affected network-filesystem write paths, particularly storage or file-service infrastructure. Accelerate supported kernel updates where CIFS cache=none is present. For systems without relevant netfs usage, validate exposure before emergency scheduling, while retaining normal kernel patch timelines.

Technical view

When all unbuffered-write subrequests fail, stream->transferred remains invalid. The collector can assign LONG_MAX to wreq->transferred, which ->write_iter() returns as bytes written. iter_file_splice_write() then releases more pipe buffers than exist, causing an oops. The fix tracks value validity, initializes transferred to zero, and warns when ->write_iter() overreports.

Likely exposure

Potential exposure exists on systems running the listed affected Linux versions—6.10, 6.12.44, 6.16.4, and 6.17—and using relevant netfs unbuffered-write and splice paths. CIFS with cache=none is the confirmed test configuration. The record also lists an ambiguous version "0"; distribution backports and vendor version mappings require verification.

Exploitation context

The CVE is not listed as KEV, and the supplied sources provide no evidence of active exploitation. CVSS 3.1 scores it 7.1 with network reachability, low complexity, no privileges, and user interaction required. However, the sources do not establish a practical remote attack scenario; they document a write-failure condition caused by ENOSPC during testing.

Researcher notes

The issue was discovered through generic/750 xfstest against CIFS with cache=none after scratch-space exhaustion produced ENOSPC. The failure depends on every active unbuffered-write stream failing before reporting a valid transferred count. No CWE is supplied. Affected-version metadata contains ambiguity, so assess exact upstream commits and distribution backports rather than relying solely on the version list.

Mitigation direction

  • Install a distribution-supported kernel update incorporating the applicable referenced stable fix.
  • Prioritize systems using CIFS cache=none or comparable unbuffered netfs write paths.
  • If immediate updating is impossible, check vendor guidance for supported exposure-reduction measures.
  • Avoid treating version numbers alone as authoritative because distributions may backport kernel fixes.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions and identify systems mounting CIFS or other netfs filesystems.
  • Determine whether CIFS mounts use cache=none and workloads use splice-based writes.
  • Confirm the installed vendor kernel includes the applicable referenced stable commit or backport.
  • Review kernel logs for CIFS write error -28, iter_file_splice_write faults, or pipe_buf_release faults.
  • In staging, test relevant write-failure handling and confirm errors return without a kernel oops.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2025-39723 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7.1 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7.1CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H2.84.2Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.1High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-39723Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux288ace2f57c9d06dd2e42bd80d03747d879a4068, 288ace2f57c9d06dd2e42bd80d03747d879a4068, 288ace2f57c9d06dd2e42bd80d03747d879a4068unaffected
LinuxLinux6.10, 0, 6.12.44, 6.16.4, 6.17affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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