CVE-2025-68807

CVE-2025-68807 is a security vulnerability that is still awaiting full analysis and scoring. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: block: fix race between wbt_enable_default and IO submission When wbt_enable_default() is moved out of queue freezing in elevator_change(), it can cause the wbt inflight counter to become negative (-1), leading to hung tasks in the writeback path. Tasks get stuck in wbt_wait() because the counter is in an inconsistent state. The issue occurs because wbt_enable_default() could race with IO submission, allowing the counter to be decremented before proper initialization. This manifests as: rq_wait[0]: inflight: -1 has_waiters: True rwb_enabled() checks the state, which can be updated exactly between wbt_wait() (rq_qos_throttle()) and wbt_track()(rq_qos_track()), then the inflight counter will become negative. And results in hung task warnings like: task:kworker/u24:39 state:D stack:0 pid:14767 Call Trace: rq_qos_wait+0xb4/0x150 wbt_wait+0xa9/0x100 __rq_qos_throttle+0x24/0x40 blk_mq_submit_bio+0x672/0x7b0 ... Fix this by: 1. Splitting wbt_enable_default() into: - __wbt_enable_default(): Returns true if wbt_init() should be called - wbt_enable_default(): Wrapper for existing callers (no init) - wbt_init_enable_default(): New function that checks and inits WBT 2. Using wbt_init_enable_default() in blk_register_queue() to ensure proper initialization during queue registration 3. Move wbt_init() out of wbt_enable_default() which is only for enabling disabled wbt from bfq and iocost, and wbt_init() isn't needed. Then the original lock warning can be avoided. 4. Removing the ELEVATOR_FLAG_ENABLE_WBT_ON_EXIT flag and its handling code since it's no longer needed This ensures WBT is properly initialized before any IO can be submitted, preventing the counter from going negative.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-68807?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: block: fix race between wbt_enable_default and IO submission When wbt_enable_default() is moved out of queue freezing in elevator_change(), it can cause the wbt inflight counter to become negative (-1), leading to hung tasks in the writeback path. Tasks get stuck in wbt_wait() because the counter is in an inconsistent state. The issue occurs because wbt_enable_default() could race with IO submission, allowing the counter to be decremented before proper initialization. This manifests as: rq_wait[0]: inflight: -1 has_waiters: True rwb_enabled() checks the state, which can be updated exactly between wbt_wait() (rq_qos_throttle()) and wbt_track()(rq_qos_track()), then the inflight counter will become negative. And results in hung task warnings like: task:kworker/u24:39 state:D stack:0 pid:14767 Call Trace: rq_qos_wait+0xb4/0x150 wbt_wait+0xa9/0x100 __rq_qos_throttle+0x24/0x40 blk_mq_submit_bio+0x672/0x7b0 ... Fix this by: 1. Splitting wbt_enable_default() into: - __wbt_enable_default(): Returns true if wbt_init() should be called - wbt_enable_default(): Wrapper for existing callers (no init) - wbt_init_enable_default(): New function that checks and inits WBT 2. Using wbt_init_enable_default() in blk_register_queue() to ensure proper initialization during queue registration 3. Move wbt_init() out of wbt_enable_default() which is only for enabling disabled wbt from bfq and iocost, and wbt_init() isn't needed. Then the original lock warning can be avoided. 4. Removing the ELEVATOR_FLAG_ENABLE_WBT_ON_EXIT flag and its handling code since it's no longer needed This ensures WBT is properly initialized before any IO can be submitted, preventing the counter from going negative.
Is CVE-2025-68807 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-68807?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-68807 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-68807 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-2300.
When was CVE-2025-68807 published?
CVE-2025-68807 was published on 2026-01-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References