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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-39782

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.297 / 5.10.241 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: jbd2: prevent softlockup in jbd2_log_do_checkpoint() Both jbd2_log_do_checkpoint() and jbd2_journal_shrink_checkpoint_list() periodically release j_list_lock after processing a batch of buffers to avoid long hold times on the j_list_lock. However, since both functions contend for j_list_lock, the combined time spent waiting and processing can be significant. jbd2_journal_shrink_checkpoint_list() explicitly calls cond_resched() when need_resched() is true to avoid softlockups during prolonged operations. But jbd2_log_do_checkpoint() only exits its loop when need_resched() is true, relying on potentially sleeping functions like __flush_batch() or wait_on_buffer() to trigger rescheduling. If those functions do not sleep, the kernel may hit a softlockup. watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#3 stuck for 156s! [kworker/u129:2:373] CPU: 3 PID: 373 Comm: kworker/u129:2 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.6.0+ #10 Hardware name: Huawei TaiShan 2280 /BC11SPCD, BIOS 1.27 06/13/2017 Workqueue: writeback wb_workfn (flush-7:2) pstate: 20000005 (nzCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) pc : native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x358/0x418 lr : jbd2_log_do_checkpoint+0x31c/0x438 [jbd2] Call trace: native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x358/0x418 jbd2_log_do_checkpoint+0x31c/0x438 [jbd2] __jbd2_log_wait_for_space+0xfc/0x2f8 [jbd2] add_transaction_credits+0x3bc/0x418 [jbd2] start_this_handle+0xf8/0x560 [jbd2] jbd2__journal_start+0x118/0x228 [jbd2] __ext4_journal_start_sb+0x110/0x188 [ext4] ext4_do_writepages+0x3dc/0x740 [ext4] ext4_writepages+0xa4/0x190 [ext4] do_writepages+0x94/0x228 __writeback_single_inode+0x48/0x318 writeback_sb_inodes+0x204/0x590 __writeback_inodes_wb+0x54/0xf8 wb_writeback+0x2cc/0x3d8 wb_do_writeback+0x2e0/0x2f8 wb_workfn+0x80/0x2a8 process_one_work+0x178/0x3e8 worker_thread+0x234/0x3b8 kthread+0xf0/0x108 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 So explicitly call cond_resched() in jbd2_log_do_checkpoint() to avoid softlockup.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-667

Shared resources are accessed without correct locking, so concurrent operations interleave into inconsistent — and sometimes exploitable — states, or deadlock the service outright. These bugs are subtle and timing-dependent. The fix is correct, consistent locking or atomic operations around every shared resource.

General guidance for the improper locking class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.16, < 5.4.297>= 5.5, < 5.10.241>= 5.11, < 5.15.190>= 5.16, < 6.1.149>= 6.2, < 6.6.103>= 6.7, < 6.12.44>= 6.13, < 6.16.4= 6.17
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 11.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.4.297 / 5.10.241 / 5.15.190 or later
Fixed in 5.4.2975.10.2415.15.190
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 6.1.149+ (or 5.15.190+, 5.10.241+, 5.4.297+ depending on your branch). For Debian 11, install the latest available kernel from Debian LTS or backports that includes this fix.

  1. 1. Identify the currently running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. 2. Check if your distribution has released a kernel update that includes the fix commit 26cb9aad94cb1811d8fae115594cc71fa3d91ab0
  3. 3. For Debian 11 (Bullseye), check for and install available kernel updates via `apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade` or check linux-image-5.* packages
  4. 4. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with proprietary kernel modules or specific hardware drivers.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-39782 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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