CVE-2025-40104
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ixgbevf: fix mailbox API compatibility by negotiating supported features
There was backward compatibility in the terms of mailbox API. Various drivers from various OSes supporting 10G adapters from Intel portfolio could easily negotiate mailbox API.
This convention has been broken since introducing API 1.4. Commit 0062e7cc955e ("ixgbevf: add VF IPsec offload code") added support for IPSec which is specific only for the kernel ixgbe driver. None of the rest of the Intel 10G PF/VF drivers supports it.
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And actually lack of support was not included in the IPSec implementation - there were no such code paths. No possibility to negotiate support for the feature was introduced along with introduction of the feature itself.
Commit 339f28964147 ("ixgbevf: Add support for new mailbox communication between PF and VF") increasing API version to 1.5 did the same - it introduced code supported specifically by the PF ESX driver. It altered API version for the VF driver in the same time not touching the version defined for the PF ixgbe driver. It led to additional discrepancies, as the code provided within API 1.6 cannot be supported for Linux ixgbe driver as it causes crashes.
The issue was noticed some time ago and mitigated by Jake within the commit d0725312adf5 ("ixgbevf: stop attempting IPSEC offload on Mailbox API 1.5"). As a result we have regression for IPsec support and after increasing API to version 1.6 ixgbevf driver stopped to support ESX MBX.
To fix this mess add new mailbox op asking PF driver about supported features. Basing on a response determine whether to set support for IPSec and ESX-specific enhanced mailbox.
New mailbox op, for compatibility purposes, must be added within new API revision, as API version of OOT PF & VF drivers is already increased to 1.6 and doesn't incorporate features negotiate op.
Features negotiation mechanism gives possibility to be extended with new features when needed in the future.
CVSS
- Versión: 3.1
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Puntuación base: 7.8
Probabilidad de explotación (EPSS)
- Probabilidad de explotación en los próximos 30 días: 0.15%
- Percentil entre todas las CVEs puntuadas: 4
- Fecha de la puntuación: 6/10/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, de FIRST) estima la probabilidad de que una vulnerabilidad sea explotada en 30 días. Complementa a CVSS (impacto) y a CISA KEV (explotación confirmada).
🎯 Técnicas ATT&CK
Cómo se explota esta vulnerabilidad y qué consigue el atacante, en el lenguaje de MITRE ATT&CK.
- Explotación
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation75 % - Impacto principal
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreterexecution60 % - Impacto secundario
T1499.004Application or System Exploitationimpact50 %
AV:L/PR:L sin UI indica escalada local. Kernel ixgbevf; fallo negociación API causa crash, permitiendo DoS o ejecución de código en contexto privilegiado del driver.
Inferido por nuestro agente de análisis a partir de la descripción oficial, el vector CVSS y la CWE, y comprobado por un supervisor. Puede contener errores.
🛡️ Mitigaciones ATT&CK que cubren estas técnicas
Tecnologías afectadas (1)
⚠ Inferidas por IA a partir de la descripción — NVD aún no ha analizado esta CVE; no son CPE verificados.
Referencias
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e0aab9ddaf1428602c78f12064cd1e6ffcc4d18
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/871ac1cd4ce4804defcb428cbb003fd84c415ff4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a376e29b1b196dc90b50df7e5e3947e3026300c4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7075f501bd33c93570af759b6f4302ef0175168
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf580112ed61736c2645a893413a04732505d4b1
JSON original (NVD)
Mostrar
{
"id": "CVE-2025-40104",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"type": "Secondary",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"cvssData": {
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"version": "3.1",
"baseScore": 7.8,
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
},
"impactScore": 5.9,
"exploitabilityScore": 1.8
}
]
},
"affected": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"affectedData": [
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0062e7cc955e0827a88570ed36ea511a7dcb391e",
"lessThan": "871ac1cd4ce4804defcb428cbb003fd84c415ff4",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0062e7cc955e0827a88570ed36ea511a7dcb391e",
"lessThan": "2e0aab9ddaf1428602c78f12064cd1e6ffcc4d18",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0062e7cc955e0827a88570ed36ea511a7dcb391e",
"lessThan": "bf580112ed61736c2645a893413a04732505d4b1",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0062e7cc955e0827a88570ed36ea511a7dcb391e",
"lessThan": "a376e29b1b196dc90b50df7e5e3947e3026300c4",
"versionType": "git"
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{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0062e7cc955e0827a88570ed36ea511a7dcb391e",
"lessThan": "a7075f501bd33c93570af759b6f4302ef0175168",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf.h",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.h",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.h"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "4.20"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "4.20",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.1.158",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.6.114",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.55",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.17.5",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.17.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ipsec.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf.h",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/ixgbevf_main.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/mbx.h",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.c",
"drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbevf/vf.h"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]
}
],
"published": "2025-10-30T10:15:34.783",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e0aab9ddaf1428602c78f12064cd1e6ffcc4d18",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/871ac1cd4ce4804defcb428cbb003fd84c415ff4",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a376e29b1b196dc90b50df7e5e3947e3026300c4",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7075f501bd33c93570af759b6f4302ef0175168",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf580112ed61736c2645a893413a04732505d4b1",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Deferred",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nixgbevf: fix mailbox API compatibility by negotiating supported features\n\nThere was backward compatibility in the terms of mailbox API. Various\ndrivers from various OSes supporting 10G adapters from Intel portfolio\ncould easily negotiate mailbox API.\n\nThis convention has been broken since introducing API 1.4.\nCommit 0062e7cc955e (\"ixgbevf: add VF IPsec offload code\") added support\nfor IPSec which is specific only for the kernel ixgbe driver. None of the\nrest of the Intel 10G PF/VF drivers supports it. And actually lack of\nsupport was not included in the IPSec implementation - there were no such\ncode paths. No possibility to negotiate support for the feature was\nintroduced along with introduction of the feature itself.\n\nCommit 339f28964147 (\"ixgbevf: Add support for new mailbox communication\nbetween PF and VF\") increasing API version to 1.5 did the same - it\nintroduced code supported specifically by the PF ESX driver. It altered API\nversion for the VF driver in the same time not touching the version\ndefined for the PF ixgbe driver. It led to additional discrepancies,\nas the code provided within API 1.6 cannot be supported for Linux ixgbe\ndriver as it causes crashes.\n\nThe issue was noticed some time ago and mitigated by Jake within the commit\nd0725312adf5 (\"ixgbevf: stop attempting IPSEC offload on Mailbox API 1.5\").\nAs a result we have regression for IPsec support and after increasing API\nto version 1.6 ixgbevf driver stopped to support ESX MBX.\n\nTo fix this mess add new mailbox op asking PF driver about supported\nfeatures. Basing on a response determine whether to set support for IPSec\nand ESX-specific enhanced mailbox.\n\nNew mailbox op, for compatibility purposes, must be added within new API\nrevision, as API version of OOT PF & VF drivers is already increased to\n1.6 and doesn't incorporate features negotiate op.\n\nFeatures negotiation mechanism gives possibility to be extended with new\nfeatures when needed in the future."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-07-30T06:24:11.830",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}