CVE-2025-68262: Linux kernel · crypto: zstd – fix double-free in per-CPU stream cleanup
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.2 : 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 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.2, 6.17.0-1010.10~24.04.1, 6.17.0-1009.9~24.04.3 +11
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Dec 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
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-4 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-5 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8152-1 (opens in a new tab)
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: crypto: zstd - fix double-free in per-CPU stream cleanup The crypto/zstd module has a double-free bug that occurs when multiple tfms are allocated and freed. The issue happens because zstd_streams (per-CPU contexts) are freed in zstd_exit() during every tfm destruction, rather than being managed at the module level. When multiple tfms exist, each tfm exit attempts to free the same shared per-CPU streams, resulting in a double-free. This leads to a stack trace similar to: BUG: Bad page state in process kworker/u16:1 pfn:106fd93 page: refcount:0 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x0 pfn:0x106fd93 flags: 0x17ffffc0000000(node=0|zone=2|lastcpupid=0x1fffff) page_type: 0xffffffff() raw: 0017ffffc0000000 dead000000000100 dead000000000122 0000000000000000 raw: 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 00000000ffffffff 0000000000000000 page dumped because: nonzero entire_mapcount Modules linked in: ... CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 2506 Comm: kworker/u16:1 Kdump: loaded Tainted: G B Hardware name: ... Workqueue: btrfs-delalloc btrfs_work_helper Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x5d/0x80 bad_page+0x71/0xd0 free_unref_page_prepare+0x24e/0x490 free_unref_page+0x60/0x170 crypto_acomp_free_streams+0x5d/0xc0 crypto_acomp_exit_tfm+0x23/0x50 crypto_destroy_tfm+0x60/0xc0 ... Change the lifecycle management of zstd_streams to free the streams only once during module cleanup.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-68262 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68262 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/48bc9da3c97c15f1ea24934bcb3b736acd30163d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/48bc9da3c97c15f1ea24934bcb3b736acd30163d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc0f4509b0ed5d82bef78e058db0ac4df04d0695 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e983feaa79de1e46c9087fb9f02fedb0e5397ce6 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-4 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8094-5 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8152-1 (opens in a new tab)