Vulnerability Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: qat - flush misc workqueue during device shutdown Repeated loading and unloading of a device specific QAT driver, for example qat_4xxx, in a tight loop can lead to a crash due to a use-after-free scenario. This occurs when a power management (PM) interrupt triggers just before the device-specific driver (e.g., qat_4xxx.ko) is unloaded, while the core driver (intel_qat.ko) remains loaded. Since the driver uses a shared workqueue (`qat_misc_wq`) across all devices and owned by intel_qat.ko, a deferred routine from the device-specific driver may still be pending in the queue. If this routine executes after the driver is unloaded, it can dereference freed memory, resulting in a page fault and kernel crash like the following: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffa000002e50a01c #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode RIP: 0010:pm_bh_handler+0x1d2/0x250 [intel_qat] Call Trace: pm_bh_handler+0x1d2/0x250 [intel_qat] process_one_work+0x171/0x340 worker_thread+0x277/0x3a0 kthread+0xf0/0x120 ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x50 To prevent this, flush the misc workqueue during device shutdown to ensure that all pending work items are completed before the driver is unloaded. Note: This approach may slightly increase shutdown latency if the workqueue contains jobs from other devices, but it ensures correctness and stability.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 5.18, < 6.6.103 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d4df408ba9bad2b205c7fb8afc1836a6a4ca88aPatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5858448a6c65d8ee3f8600570d3ce19febcb33bePatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e59a52e429e13df3feb34f4853a8e36d121ed937Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fa4c14a82747886d333d8baef0d26da86ba1ccf7Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe546f5c50fc474daca6bee72caa7ab68a74c33dPatch
FAQ
What is CVE-2025-39721?
CVE-2025-39721 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: qat - flush misc workqueue during device shutdown Repeated loading and unloading of a device specific QAT driver, for exam...
How severe is CVE-2025-39721?
CVE-2025-39721 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.5/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2025-39721?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Linux Linux Kernel.