CVE-2025-39915: net: phy: transfer phy_config_inband() locking responsibility to phylink
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: phy: transfer phy_config_inband() locking responsibility to phylink
Problem description
===================
Lockdep reports a possible circular locking dependency (AB/BA) between
&pl->state_mutex and &phy->lock, as follows.
phylink_resolve() // acquires &pl->state_mutex
-> phylink_major_config()
-> phy_config_inband() // acquires &pl->phydev->lock
whereas all the other call sites where &pl->state_mutex and
&pl->phydev->lock have the locking scheme reversed. Everywhere else,
&pl->phydev->lock is acquired at the top level, and &pl->state_mutex at
the lower level. A clear example is phylink_bringup_phy().
The outlier is the newly introduced phy_config_inband() and the existing
lock order is the correct one. To understand why it cannot be the other
way around, it is sufficient to consider phylink_phy_change(), phylink's
callback from the PHY device's phy->phy_link_change() virtual method,
invoked by the PHY state machine.
phy_link_up() and phy_link_down(), the (indirect) callers of
phylink_phy_change(), are called with &phydev->lock acquired.
Then phylink_phy_change() acquires its own &pl->state_mutex, to
serialize changes made to its pl->phy_state and pl->link_config.
So all other instances of &pl->state_mutex and &phydev->lock must be
consistent with this order.
Problem impact
==============
I think the kernel runs a serious deadlock risk if an existing
phylink_resolve() thread, which results in a phy_config_inband() call,
is concurrent with a phy_link_up() or phy_link_down() call, which will
deadlock on &pl->state_mutex in phylink_phy_change(). Practically
speaking, the impact may be limited by the slow speed of the medium
auto-negotiation protocol, which makes it unlikely for the current state
to still be unresolved when a new one is detected, but I think the
problem is there. Nonetheless, the problem was discovered using lockdep.
Proposed solution
=================
Practically speaking, the phy_config_inband() requirement of having
phydev->lock acquired must transfer to the caller (phylink is the only
caller). There, it must bubble up until immediately before
&pl->state_mutex is acquired, for the cases where that takes place.
Solution details, considerations, notes
=======================================
This is the phy_config_inband() call graph:
sfp_upstream_ops :: connect_phy()
|
v
phylink_sfp_connect_phy()
|
v
phylink_sfp_config_phy()
|
| sfp_upstream_ops :: module_insert()
| |
| v
| phylink_sfp_module_insert()
| |
| | sfp_upstream_ops :: module_start()
| | |
| | v
| | phylink_sfp_module_start()
| | |
| v v
| phylink_sfp_config_optical()
phylink_start() | |
| phylink_resume() v v
| | phylink_sfp_set_config()
| | |
v v v
phylink_mac_initial_config()
| phylink_resolve()
| | phylink_ethtool_ksettings_set()
v v v
phylink_major_config()
|
v
phy_config_inband()
phylink_major_config() caller #1, phylink_mac_initial_config(), does not
acquire &pl->state_mutex nor do its callers. It must acquire
&pl->phydev->lock prior to calling phylink_major_config().
phylink_major_config() caller #2, phylink_resolve() acquires
&pl->state_mutex, thus also needs to acquire &pl->phydev->lock.
phylink_major_config() caller #3, phylink_ethtool_ksettings_set(), is
completely uninteresting, because it only call
---truncated---
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Linux kernel issue is a locking bug that can deadlock networking code, causing availability loss. It affects systems running listed affected kernel versions and relevant PHY/phylink networking paths. The sources do not show data theft, privilege escalation, or active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate availability risk. Patch during normal kernel maintenance, faster for network-critical Linux systems or appliances where an interface deadlock could disrupt service.
Technical view
CVE-2025-39915 is a CWE-667 improper locking flaw in Linux kernel phylink/PHY handling. An inconsistent lock order between pl->state_mutex and phydev->lock around phy_config_inband() can create an AB/BA deadlock during concurrent link resolution and PHY link state changes.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems on affected kernels using phylink, PHY, SFP, or in-band networking configuration paths. The CVSS vector requires local low-privilege access and indicates high availability impact only.
Exploitation context
The bundle reports no KEV listing and no cited active exploitation. The kernel description says lockdep found the issue and practical triggering may be limited by auto-negotiation timing, but a serious deadlock risk exists under concurrency.
Researcher notes
The public description centers on lock ordering, not an attacker-controlled exploit path. Affected-version data in the bundle is limited and should be reconciled with vendor kernel backports before declaring systems fixed or vulnerable.
Mitigation direction
Apply a vendor kernel update containing the referenced stable fixes.
Check distribution advisories for CVE-2025-39915 package status.
Prioritize systems using affected networking hardware or kernel paths.
Avoid inventing compensating controls without vendor guidance.
Plan maintenance because remediation requires kernel replacement or reboot.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers and appliances.
Check whether systems use phylink, PHY, SFP, or in-band link modes.
Confirm vendor changelogs include CVE-2025-39915 or referenced commits.
Review kernel logs for lockdep warnings or unexplained network deadlocks.
Validate patched kernels in staging before production rollout.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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Improper Locking
Improper Locking represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.