Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2025-22023

None

CVSS

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EPSS

0.2%

Published

Apr 16, 2025

CISA due date

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Cloudanix analysis

Monitor only SSVC: Track

A rare bug in how the system handles certain USB device events could cause crashes or memory problems on affected container platforms, fixed by updating the relevant software packages.

Exploitation
Physical Access
Attacker needs
Physical Access
Complexity
High
Impact
Full Compromise
Component
OS kernel
Class
Memory Corruption
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

Incorrect handling of Stopped - Length Invalid events in the xHCI USB driver can cause erroneous skipping of pending isochronous TDs or failure to skip missed TDs, resulting in ring lockup or premature TD completion that risks hardware use-after-free and isochronous data loss.

Why it matters to the business

Container runtime and networking components on affected Red Hat OpenShift 4.15 systems may experience USB-related instability during isochronous transfers, with potential for crashes or data corruption in USB device handling; low exploitation likelihood reduces urgency despite broad package exposure.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local or physical access to a system using USB isochronous devices would need to induce a precise sequence of Stopped events on Link or No-Op TRBs within TDs; this rare condition could then trigger incorrect TD skipping decisions leading to UAF conditions.

How to fix it

Update affected packages to the listed fixed versions: containernetworking-plugins to 1:1.4.0-4.rhaos4.15.el8, cri-o to 0:1.28.11-5.rhaos4.15.git35a2431.el8 or el9 equivalent, podman to 3:4.4.1-31.rhaos4.15.el8, skopeo to 2:1.11.3-5.rhaos4.15.el8 and all related debuginfo/debugsource packages; apply corresponding kernel updates when available.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify installed package versions match the fixed releases using rpm or dnf; confirm absence of the described xHCI skip logic in kernel source or running kernel logs after reboot; test USB isochronous device functionality under load.

Typical attack path

  1. Gain ability to interact with USB hardware or simulate device events
  2. Trigger Stopped - Length Invalid event on a Link/No-Op TRB inside an isochronous TD
  3. Force subsequent events that cause erroneous skipping of pending TDs
  4. Exploit resulting UAF or incomplete data handling for memory corruption

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for xHCI Stopped events and TD skip anomalies; inspect USB device interaction traces for premature isochronous TD completion; no widespread exploitation indicators known.

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize patching all listed OpenShift 4.15 packages to the exact fixed versions provided
  • Monitor for USB xHCI ring-related kernel warnings or crashes in systems with isochronous devices
  • Restrict untrusted USB device access until patches are applied

The record

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: xhci: Don't skip on Stopped - Length Invalid Up until commit d56b0b2ab142 ("usb: xhci: ensure skipped isoc TDs are returned when isoc ring is stopped") in v6.11, the driver didn't skip missed isochronous TDs when handling Stoppend and Stopped - Length Invalid events. Instead, it erroneously cleared the skip flag, which would cause the ring to get stuck, as future events won't match the missed TD which is never removed from the queue until it's cancelled. This buggy logic seems to have been in place substantially unchanged since the 3.x series over 10 years ago, which probably speaks first and foremost about relative rarity of this case in normal usage, but by the spec I see no reason why it shouldn't be possible. After d56b0b2ab142, TDs are immediately skipped when handling those Stopped events. This poses a potential problem in case of Stopped - Length Invalid, which occurs either on completed TDs (likely already given back) or Link and No-Op TRBs. Such event won't be recognized as matching any TD (unless it's the rare Link TRB inside a TD) and will result in skipping all pending TDs, giving them back possibly before they are done, risking isoc data loss and maybe UAF by HW. As a compromise, don't skip and don't clear the skip flag on this kind of event. Then the next event will skip missed TDs. A downside of not handling Stopped - Length Invalid on a Link inside a TD is that if the TD is cancelled, its actual length will not be updated to account for TRBs (silently) completed before the TD was stopped. I had no luck producing this sequence of completion events so there is no compelling demonstration of any resulting disaster. It may be a very rare, obscure condition. The sole motivation for this patch is that if such unlikely event does occur, I'd rather risk reporting a cancelled partially done isoc frame as empty than gamble with UAF. This will be fixed more properly by looking at Stopped event's TRB pointer when making skipping decisions, but such rework is unlikely to be backported to v6.12, which will stay around for a few years.

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Debian:13 linux 0 No fix
Linux Kernel 6.11.0 6.12.22

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