CVE-2025-40138: Linux kernel · f2fs: fix to avoid NULL pointer dereference in f2fs_check_quota_consistency()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in 6.17.0-1007.7~24.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.17.0-1007.7~24.04.1, 6.17.0-1008.8~24.04.1, 6.17.0-1008.8 +6
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Nov 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Patches and advisories
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 25.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 25.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: f2fs: fix to avoid NULL pointer dereference in f2fs_check_quota_consistency() syzbot reported a f2fs bug as below: Oops: gen[ 107.736417][ T5848] Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000000: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN PTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 5848 Comm: syz-executor263 Tainted: G W 6.17.0-rc1-syzkaller-00014-g0e39a731820a #0 PREEMPT_{RT,(full)} RIP: 0010:strcmp+0x3c/0xc0 lib/string.c:284 Call Trace: <TASK> f2fs_check_quota_consistency fs/f2fs/super.c:1188 [inline] f2fs_check_opt_consistency+0x1378/0x2c10 fs/f2fs/super.c:1436 __f2fs_remount fs/f2fs/super.c:2653 [inline] f2fs_reconfigure+0x482/0x1770 fs/f2fs/super.c:5297 reconfigure_super+0x224/0x890 fs/super.c:1077 do_remount fs/namespace.c:3314 [inline] path_mount+0xd18/0xfe0 fs/namespace.c:4112 do_mount fs/namespace.c:4133 [inline] __do_sys_mount fs/namespace.c:4344 [inline] __se_sys_mount+0x317/0x410 fs/namespace.c:4321 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f The direct reason is f2fs_check_quota_consistency() may suffer null-ptr-deref issue in strcmp(). The bug can be reproduced w/ below scripts: mkfs.f2fs -f /dev/vdb mount -t f2fs -o usrquota /dev/vdb /mnt/f2fs quotacheck -uc /mnt/f2fs/ umount /mnt/f2fs mount -t f2fs -o usrjquota=aquota.user,jqfmt=vfsold /dev/vdb /mnt/f2fs mount -t f2fs -o remount,usrjquota=,jqfmt=vfsold /dev/vdb /mnt/f2fs umount /mnt/f2fs So, before old_qname and new_qname comparison, we need to check whether they are all valid pointers, fix it.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-40138 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40138 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/930a9a6ee8e7ffa20af4bffbfc2bbd21d83bf81c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f3458852bbfe79c60f2412b8b04677b96688b6e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/930a9a6ee8e7ffa20af4bffbfc2bbd21d83bf81c (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8030-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8048-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8029-3 (opens in a new tab)