CVE-2025-40212: Linux kernel · nfsd: fix refcount leak in nfsd_set_fh_dentry()
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 36% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 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.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix refcount leak in nfsd_set_fh_dentry() nfsd exports a "pseudo root filesystem" which is used by NFSv4 to find the various exported filesystems using LOOKUP requests from a known root filehandle. NFSv3 uses the MOUNT protocol to find those exported filesystems and so is not given access to the pseudo root filesystem. If a v3 (or v2) client uses a filehandle from that filesystem, nfsd_set_fh_dentry() will report an error, but still stores the export in "struct svc_fh" even though it also drops the reference (exp_put()). This means that when fh_put() is called an extra reference will be dropped which can lead to use-after-free and possible denial of service. Normal NFS usage will not provide a pseudo-root filehandle to a v3 client. This bug can only be triggered by the client synthesising an incorrect filehandle. To fix this we move the assignments to the svc_fh later, after all possible error cases have been detected.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-40212 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a7348a9ed70bda1c1f51d3f1815bcbdf9f3b38c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6bc86ce3944b10b9fc181fc00c1a520a20ed965 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c83d7365cec5eb5ebeeee2a72e29b4ca58a7e4c2 (opens in a new tab)