🛡️ CVE-2025-39990 — kernel

🟠 CVSS 7.8 — High ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
7.8
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

bpf: Check the helper function is valid in get_helper_proto

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

bpf: Check the helper function is valid in get_helper_proto

kernel test robot reported verifier bug [1] where the helper func

pointer could be NULL due to disabled config option.

As Alexei suggested we could check on that in get_helper_proto

directly. Marking tail_call helper func with BPF_PTR_POISON,

because it is unused by design.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/oe-lkp/[email protected]

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high.

Affected software

CVE-2025-39990 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.13.0 up to 6.16.10)
  • unknown

Timeline and source

Published on 15 October 2025 and last revised on 6 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

CVE-2025-39990 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity High
CVSS Score 7.8
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2025-10-15
Updated 2026-08-12
Modified 2026-08-06
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.13.0 6.16.10
unknown — —

Similar Threats

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