CVE-2025-12105 is a use-after-free vulnerability discovered in the libsoup library, a core GNOME component widely used by GNOME and WebKit-based applications to handle HTTP/2 communications. The vulnerability stems from a flaw in the asynchronous message queue management where, under certain timing conditions during network operation aborts, an internal message queue item is freed twice due to missing state synchronization. This double-free leads to a use-after-free memory access, which can cause the affected application to crash. The vulnerability can be triggered remotely without authentication or user interaction by sending specifically crafted HTTP/2 read and cancel sequences that exploit the timing window. The impact is primarily denial-of-service (DoS), as the application crashes disrupt service availability. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.5 (high severity) reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. No confidentiality or integrity impacts are noted. The vulnerability affects all versions of libsoup as no version-specific fixes are indicated yet. While no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the widespread use of libsoup in GNOME desktop environments and WebKit-based browsers and applications makes this a significant threat. Attackers could leverage this flaw to disrupt services or cause application instability remotely, impacting user experience and potentially critical services relying on these libraries.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-12105 is denial-of-service through application crashes in software that uses libsoup for HTTP/2 communication. This can affect desktop environments, browsers, and other applications built on GNOME or WebKit frameworks, potentially disrupting business operations, user productivity, and service availability. Critical infrastructure or public-facing services relying on these technologies could experience outages or degraded performance. Although no direct data breach or integrity compromise is involved, the loss of availability can have cascading effects, especially in sectors like finance, government, healthcare, and telecommunications where GNOME-based systems or WebKit browsers are prevalent. The remote, unauthenticated nature of the exploit increases the risk of widespread attacks, including automated scanning and exploitation attempts. Organizations with large deployments of Linux desktops or applications using libsoup should prioritize mitigation to maintain operational continuity.

1. Monitor official GNOME and libsoup project channels for patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-12105 and apply them promptly once available. 2. In the interim, implement network-level controls to detect and block suspicious or malformed HTTP/2 traffic patterns that could trigger the vulnerability, such as unusual read and cancel sequences. 3. Employ application-level monitoring to detect abnormal crashes or instability in GNOME and WebKit-based applications, enabling rapid incident response. 4. Where feasible, consider disabling or restricting HTTP/2 support in affected applications until patches are applied, especially in high-risk environments. 5. Conduct internal audits to identify all systems and applications using libsoup to ensure comprehensive coverage of mitigation efforts. 6. Educate IT and security teams about the vulnerability to improve detection and response capabilities. 7. Use sandboxing or containerization to limit the impact of potential crashes on critical systems. 8. Maintain robust backup and recovery procedures to minimize downtime in case of denial-of-service incidents.