CVE-2025-71238
Double Free Vulnerability in Linux qla2xxx Driver Causing Kernel Panic
Publication date: 2026-03-04
Last updated on: 2026-03-17
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 6.1.164 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.201 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.127 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.74 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.7 (inc) to 5.10.251 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.13 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.3 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-415 | The product calls free() twice on the same memory address. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's qla2xxx driver, specifically in the bsg_done() function. The issue is that bsg_done() can be called twice in some failure cases, leading to a double free of memory. This double free can cause a kernel panic, which is a critical system crash.
The problem arises because most routines in qla_bsg.c call bsg_done() only when operations succeed, but a few also call it on failure, causing the double free. The fix involves validating before calling bsg_done() to prevent this.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause a kernel panic on affected systems, leading to an unexpected system crash. Such crashes can result in downtime, loss of data in memory, and disruption of services running on the affected Linux system.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring system logs for kernel panic messages related to the qla2xxx driver. Specifically, look for error messages indicating a page fault or double free in the qla2xxx module, such as kernel panic logs containing 'BUG: unable to handle page fault' and call traces involving qla2x00_process_vendor_specific or qla24xx_bsg_request.
You can use commands like 'dmesg' or 'journalctl -k' to review kernel logs for these signs.
- dmesg | grep -i qla2xxx
- journalctl -k | grep -i 'BUG: unable to handle page fault'
- journalctl -k | grep -i qla2xxx
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to update the Linux kernel to a version where the qla2xxx driver has been fixed to prevent the double free in bsg_done().
Until the update can be applied, monitor the system for kernel panics related to this issue and avoid workloads that trigger the qla2xxx driver operations that may cause the fault.