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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-68788: Linux kernel · fsnotify: do not generate ACCESS/MODIFY events on child for special files

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0
Authoritative record:CVE-2025-68788

Not known to be exploited · fixed in 5.15.0-1103.110~20.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity
Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 5.15.0-1103.110~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1110.119~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1114.123~20.04.1 +71

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 13 Jan 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 25.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.17.0-22.22?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-22.22
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-22.22
Ubuntu 25.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.17.0-1012.12?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1012.12
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1012.12
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.17.0-1013.13?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1013.13
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1013.13
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde@6.17.0-1017.17?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.17.0-1003.3 – 6.17.0-1017.17
10 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.17.0-1012.12?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1012.12
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1012.12
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle@6.17.0-1011.11?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1011.11
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1011.11

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available and has been released to correct this behavior in the Linux kernel. Users should update to a fixed kernel version as provided by their distribution vendor. The Ubuntu advisory USN-8096-1 confirms the availability of this fix in updated kernel packages. Applying these updates will close the side-channel vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's fsnotify subsystem allowed users with read access to a parent directory but no read access to special files (e.g., /dev/null) to receive ACCESS/MODIFY events on those special files. This behavior could leak information about file access or modification times, creating a side-channel for potential information exfiltration. The issue has been resolved by aligning fsnotify events with file stat behavior, preventing ACCESS/MODIFY events on special files for unauthorized users. This fix closes the side-channel without affecting legitimate event notifications triggered by explicit time attribute changes.

References

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