CVE-2025-23161
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2025-23161 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on May 1, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
PCI: vmd: Make vmd_dev::cfg_lock a raw_spinlock_t type
The access to the PCI config space via pci_ops::read and pci_ops::write is
a low-level hardware access. The functions can be accessed with disabled
interrupts even on PREEMPT_RT. The pci_lock is a raw_spinlock_t for this
purpose.
A spinlock_t becomes a sleeping lock on PREEMPT_RT, so it cannot be
acquired with disabled interrupts. The vmd_dev::cfg_lock is accessed in
the same context as the pci_lock.
Make vmd_dev::cfg_lock a raw_spinlock_t type so it can be used with
interrupts disabled.
This was reported as:
BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c:48
Call Trace:
rt_spin_lock+0x4e/0x130
vmd_pci_read+0x8d/0x100 [vmd]
pci_user_read_config_byte+0x6f/0xe0
pci_read_config+0xfe/0x290
sysfs_kf_bin_read+0x68/0x90
[bigeasy: reword commit message]
Tested-off-by: Luis Claudio R. Goncalves <[email protected]
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 0, < 5.15.181 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-23161?
CVE-2025-23161 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on May 1, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2025-23161?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-23161?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2025-23161?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2025-23161 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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