Memory Leak Affecting kernel6.12-libbpf-debuginfo package, versions <1:6.12.40-63.114.amzn2023


Severity

Recommended
high

Based on Amazon Linux security rating.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.01% (2nd percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-AMZN2023-KERNEL612LIBBPFDEBUGINFO-13558811
  • published16 Oct 2025
  • disclosed25 Jul 2025

Introduced: 25 Jul 2025

CVE-2025-38465  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-401  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Amazon-Linux:2023 kernel6.12-libbpf-debuginfo to version 1:6.12.40-63.114.amzn2023 or higher.
This issue was patched in ALAS2023-2025-1145.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream kernel6.12-libbpf-debuginfo package and not the kernel6.12-libbpf-debuginfo package as distributed by Amazon-Linux. See How to fix? for Amazon-Linux:2023 relevant fixed versions and status.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netlink: Fix wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc.

Netlink has this pattern in some places

if (atomic_read(&sk->sk_rmem_alloc) > sk->sk_rcvbuf) atomic_add(skb->truesize, &sk->sk_rmem_alloc);

, which has the same problem fixed by commit 5a465a0da13e ("udp: Fix multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc.").

For example, if we set INT_MAX to SO_RCVBUFFORCE, the condition is always false as the two operands are of int.

Then, a single socket can eat as many skb as possible until OOM happens, and we can see multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc.

Let's fix it by using atomic_add_return() and comparing the two variables as unsigned int.

Before: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port -1668710080 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/293 *

After: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port 2147483072 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/290 * ^ `--- INT_MAX - 576

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1