CVE-2025-39874

MEDIUM
Published Sep 23, 2025 Modified Jan 14, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: macsec: sync features on RTM_NEWLINK Syzkaller managed to lock the lower device via ETHTOOL_SFEATURES: netdev_lock include/linux/netdevice.h:2761 [inline] netdev_lock_ops include/net/netdev_lock.h:42 [inline] netdev_sync_lower_features net/core/dev.c:10649 [inline] __netdev_update_features+0xcb1/0x1be0 net/core/dev.c:10819 netdev_update_features+0x6d/0xe0 net/core/dev.c:10876 macsec_notify+0x2f5/0x660 drivers/net/macsec.c:4533 notifier_call_chain+0x1b3/0x3e0 kernel/notifier.c:85 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:2267 [inline] call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:2281 [inline] netdev_features_change+0x85/0xc0 net/core/dev.c:1570 __dev_ethtool net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3469 [inline] dev_ethtool+0x1536/0x19b0 net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3502 dev_ioctl+0x392/0x1150 net/core/dev_ioctl.c:759 It happens because lower features are out of sync with the upper: __dev_ethtool (real_dev) netdev_lock_ops(real_dev) ETHTOOL_SFEATURES __netdev_features_change netdev_sync_upper_features disable LRO on the lower if (old_features != dev->features) netdev_features_change fires NETDEV_FEAT_CHANGE macsec_notify NETDEV_FEAT_CHANGE netdev_update_features (for each macsec dev) netdev_sync_lower_features if (upper_features != lower_features) netdev_lock_ops(lower) # lower == real_dev stuck ... netdev_unlock_ops(real_dev) Per commit af5f54b0ef9e ("net: Lock lower level devices when updating features"), we elide the lock/unlock when the upper and lower features are synced. Makes sure the lower (real_dev) has proper features after the macsec link has been created. This makes sure we never hit the situation where we need to sync upper flags to the lower.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2025-39874?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Products

Vendor Product
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-39874? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: macsec: sync features on RTM_NEWLINK Syzkaller managed to lock the lower device via ETHTOOL_SFEATURES: netdev_lock include/linux/netdevice.h:2761 [inline] netdev_lock_ops include/net/netdev_lock.h:42 [inline] netdev_sync_lower_features net/core/dev.c:10649 [inline] __netdev_update_features+0xcb1/0x1be0 net/core/dev.c:10819 netdev_update_features+0x6d/0xe0 net/core/dev.c:10876 macsec_notify+0x2f5/0x660 drivers/net/macsec.c:4533 notifier_call_chain+0x1b3/0x3e0 kernel/notifier.c:85 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:2267 [inline] call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:2281 [inline] netdev_features_change+0x85/0xc0 net/core/dev.c:1570 __dev_ethtool net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3469 [inline] dev_ethtool+0x1536/0x19b0 net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3502 dev_ioctl+0x392/0x1150 net/core/dev_ioctl.c:759 It happens because lower features are out of sync with the upper: __dev_ethtool (real_dev) netdev_lock_ops(real_dev) ETHTOOL_SFEATURES __netdev_features_change netdev_sync_upper_features disable LRO on the lower if (old_features != dev->features) netdev_features_change fires NETDEV_FEAT_CHANGE macsec_notify NETDEV_FEAT_CHANGE netdev_update_features (for each macsec dev) netdev_sync_lower_features if (upper_features != lower_features) netdev_lock_ops(lower) # lower == real_dev stuck ... netdev_unlock_ops(real_dev) Per commit af5f54b0ef9e ("net: Lock lower level devices when updating features"), we elide the lock/unlock when the upper and lower features are synced. Makes sure the lower (real_dev) has proper features after the macsec link has been created. This makes sure we never hit the situation where we need to sync upper flags to the lower. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2025-39874? +
CVE-2025-39874 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-39874? +
CVE-2025-39874 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-39874? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

Don't wait for an exploit

Scan your website for vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-39874 — free, no signup required.