CVE-2025-40048: uio_hv_generic: Let userspace take care of interrupt mask
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
uio_hv_generic: Let userspace take care of interrupt mask
Remove the logic to set interrupt mask by default in uio_hv_generic
driver as the interrupt mask value is supposed to be controlled
completely by the user space. If the mask bit gets changed
by the driver, concurrently with user mode operating on the ring,
the mask bit may be set when it is supposed to be clear, and the
user-mode driver will miss an interrupt which will cause a hang.
For eg- when the driver sets inbound ring buffer interrupt mask to 1,
the host does not interrupt the guest on the UIO VMBus channel.
However, setting the mask does not prevent the host from putting a
message in the inbound ring buffer. So let’s assume that happens,
the host puts a message into the ring buffer but does not interrupt.
Subsequently, the user space code in the guest sets the inbound ring
buffer interrupt mask to 0, saying “Hey, I’m ready for interrupts”.
User space code then calls pread() to wait for an interrupt.
Then one of two things happens:
* The host never sends another message. So the pread() waits forever.
* The host does send another message. But because there’s already a
message in the ring buffer, it doesn’t generate an interrupt.
This is the correct behavior, because the host should only send an
interrupt when the inbound ring buffer transitions from empty to
not-empty. Adding an additional message to a ring buffer that is not
empty is not supposed to generate an interrupt on the guest.
Since the guest is waiting in pread() and not removing messages from
the ring buffer, the pread() waits forever.
This could be easily reproduced in hv_fcopy_uio_daemon if we delay
setting interrupt mask to 0.
Similarly if hv_uio_channel_cb() sets the interrupt_mask to 1,
there’s a race condition. Once user space empties the inbound ring
buffer, but before user space sets interrupt_mask to 0, the host could
put another message in the ring buffer but it wouldn’t interrupt.
Then the next pread() would hang.
Fix these by removing all instances where interrupt_mask is changed,
while keeping the one in set_event() unchanged to enable userspace
control the interrupt mask by writing 0/1 to /dev/uioX.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A race condition in a Linux Hyper-V userspace I/O driver can cause a virtual machine service to wait forever for an interrupt. The documented impact is loss of availability, not data theft or modification. Systems are exposed only when they use the affected uio_hv_generic driver and associated userspace handling.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority availability issue for Hyper-V workloads that depend on the affected driver, especially operationally critical guest services. Scope first because exposure is configuration-dependent. Patch confirmed users promptly; broad emergency action across unrelated Linux systems is not supported by the supplied evidence.
Technical view
The kernel driver and userspace can concurrently modify the VMBus inbound-ring interrupt mask. A host message may enter a non-empty or masked ring without generating another interrupt, leaving userspace blocked in pread(). The fix removes driver-side interrupt-mask changes except set_event(), preserving userspace control through /dev/uioX.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is concentrated in Linux guests on Hyper-V that actively use uio_hv_generic and UIO VMBus services such as hv_fcopy_uio_daemon. Merely running Linux or Hyper-V does not establish exposure. The supplied version data does not define clear affected ranges, so distribution-specific package mapping is required.
Exploitation context
The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation or a public exploit. It documents easy reproduction through delayed interrupt-mask handling, but does not establish that an unauthenticated remote attacker can intentionally trigger the condition.
Researcher notes
The failure is a lost-interrupt race, not memory corruption. Host messages can remain queued while userspace blocks because notification occurs only on an empty-to-non-empty transition. Exact vulnerable and fixed release boundaries are unclear in the bundle; use commit ancestry or distribution backport records rather than version-string comparison alone.
Mitigation direction
Install a vendor-supported kernel update containing the applicable referenced stable fix.
Prioritize Hyper-V Linux guests actively using uio_hv_generic or UIO VMBus services.
Check distribution advisories because the supplied version list does not provide reliable fixed-version boundaries.
Until patched, monitor affected services and maintain recovery procedures for guest-side hangs.
Validation and detection
Inventory Hyper-V Linux guests and record their running kernel package versions.
Confirm whether uio_hv_generic and relevant UIO VMBus userspace services are active.
Map each distribution kernel package to its vendor advisory or applicable stable fix commit.
After updating, verify the new kernel is running and affected services process messages without hanging.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVSS vector scores
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