CVE-2025-68365
Uninitialized Memory Use in Linux Kernel NTFS3 Driver
Publication date: 2025-12-24
Last updated on: 2026-02-26
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.162 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.122 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15 (inc) to 5.15.199 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.2 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.68 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-908 | The product uses or accesses a resource that has not been initialized. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's NTFS3 filesystem driver involves the use of uninitialized memory. Specifically, memory allocated by __getname() (which wraps kmem_cache_alloc()) is used before it is properly cleared, leading to potential use of uninitialized values. The fix changes the allocation function to kmem_cache_zalloc(), which zeroes the memory before use, preventing uninitialized memory usage.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
Using uninitialized memory can lead to unpredictable behavior, including potential information leaks, crashes, or security issues such as exposing sensitive data or enabling exploitation by attackers. Since this vulnerability involves uninitialized memory in the NTFS3 driver, it could impact system stability or security when handling NTFS filesystems.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The vulnerability is resolved by initializing allocated memory before use in the Linux kernel's ntfs3 filesystem driver. To mitigate this vulnerability, update your Linux kernel to the version that includes the fix where kmem_cache_alloc() is replaced with kmem_cache_zalloc() in the ntfs3 driver. This ensures memory is properly cleared before use.