Answer in brief
CVE-2025-68214 records a Medium severity (CVSS 4.7) vulnerability in timers: Fix NULL function pointer race in timer_shutdown_sync(). The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
CVSS is 4.7. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Product | Affected versions | Fixed versions |
|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1.158:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | >=debbcf812d735003c96c5e5968a3cfa4e1fbd1af <ba43ac025c4318241f8edf94f31d2eebab86991b || >=334c33aa487be406a149c8b87c38c8399d2dba8d <1a975716cc8977f461e45e28e3e5977d46ad7a6a || >=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <6665fbd7730b26d770c232b20d1b907e6a67a914 || >=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <176725f4848376530a0f0da9023f956afcc33585 || >=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <a01efa7a780c42ac5170a949bd95c9786ffcc60a || >=0cc04e80458a822300b93f82ed861a513edde194 <20739af07383e6eb1ec59dcd70b72ebfa9ac362c || >=6.1.158 <6.1.159 | ba43ac025c4318241f8edf94f31d2eebab86991b, 1a975716cc8977f461e45e28e3e5977d46ad7a6a, 6665fbd7730b26d770c232b20d1b907e6a67a914, 176725f4848376530a0f0da9023f956afcc33585, a01efa7a780c42ac5170a949bd95c9786ffcc60a, 20739af07383e6eb1ec59dcd70b72ebfa9ac362c, 6.1.159 |
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | 6.2 | Not reported |
Published upstream
Dec 16, 2025
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Nov 5, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Oct 22, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: timers: Fix NULL function pointer race in timer_shutdown_sync() There is a race condition between timer_shutdown_sync() and timer expiration that can lead to hitting a WARN_ON in expire_timers(). The issue occurs when timer_shutdown_sync() clears the timer function to NULL while the timer is still running on another CPU. The race scenario looks like this: CPU0 CPU1 <SOFTIRQ> lock_timer_base() expire_timers() base->running_timer = timer; unlock_timer_base() [call_timer_fn enter] mod_timer() ... timer_shutdown_sync() lock_timer_base() // For now, will not detach the timer but only clear its function to NULL if (base->running_timer != timer) ret = detach_if_pending(timer, base, true); if (shutdown) timer->function = NULL; unlock_timer_base() [call_timer_fn exit] lock_timer_base() base->running_timer = NULL; unlock_timer_base() ... // Now timer is pending while its function set to NULL. // next timer trigger <SOFTIRQ> expire_timers() WARN_ON_ONCE(!fn) // hit ... lock_timer_base() // Now timer will detach if (base->running_timer != timer) ret = detach_if_pending(timer, base, true); if (shutdown) timer->function = NULL; unlock_timer_base() The problem is that timer_shutdown_sync() clears the timer function regardless of whether the timer is currently running. This can leave a pending timer with a NULL function pointer, which triggers the WARN_ON_ONCE(!fn) check in expire_timers(). Fix this by only clearing the timer function when actually detaching the timer. If the timer is running, leave the function pointer intact, which is safe because the timer will be properly detached when it finishes running.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.