CVE-2025-68823

EPSS 0.0%
  • Published: 2026-01-13T16:16:04.660

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

ublk: fix deadlock when reading partition table

When one process(such as udev) opens ublk block device (e.g., to read
the partition table via bdev_open()), a deadlock[1] can occur:

1. bdev_open() grabs disk->open_mutex
2. The process issues read I/O to ublk backend to read partition table
3. In __ublk_complete_rq(), blk_update_request() or blk_mq_end_request()
runs bio->bi_end_io() callbacks
4. If this triggers fput() on file descriptor of ublk block device, the
work may be deferred to current task’s task work (see fput() implementation)
5. This eventually calls blkdev_release() from the same context
6. blkdev_release() tries to grab disk->open_mutex again
7. Deadlock: same task waiting for a mutex it already holds

The fix is to run blk_update_request() and blk_mq_end_request() with bottom
halves disabled. This forces blkdev_release() to run in kernel work-queue
context instead of current task work context, and allows ublk server to make
forward progress, and avoids the deadlock.

[axboe: rewrite comment in ublk]

Related CVE by CWE

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How to fix CVE-2025-68823

CVE-2025-68823 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ublk: fix deadlock when reading partition table When one process(such as udev) opens ublk block device (e.g., to read the partition table via bdev_open()), a deadlock[1] can occur: 1. bdev_open() grabs disk->open_mutex 2. The process issues read I/O to ublk backend to read partition table […]

Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public

How to Fix:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

HARD
⏱️ Time to Exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public Exploits: Rare or not public

Vulnerability Timeline

Jan 13, 2026
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Jan 13, 2026
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.