---
id: CVE-2025-23138
title: 'watch_queue: fix pipe accounting mismatch'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  watch_queue: fix pipe accounting mismatch

  Currently, watch_queue_set_size() modifies the pipe buffers charged to
  user->pipe_bufs without updating the pipe->nr_accounte…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 162ae0e78bdabf84ef10c1293c4ed7865cb7d3c8 <
    8658c75343ed00e5e154ebbe24335f51ba8db547
  - >-
    Linux >= 3efbd114b91525bb095b8ae046382197d92126b9 <
    471c89b7d4f58bd6082f7c1fe14d4ca15c7f1284
  - >-
    Linux >= b87a1229d8668fbc78ebd9ca0fc797a76001c60f <
    d40e3537265dea9e3c33021874437ff26dc18787
  - >-
    Linux >= 68e51bdb1194f11d3452525b99c98aff6f837b24 <
    6dafa27764183738dc5368b669b71e3d0d154f12
  - >-
    Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a <
    56ec918e6c86c1536870e4373e91eddd0c44245f
  - >-
    Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a <
    2d680b988656bb556c863d8b46d9b9096842bf3d
  - >-
    Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a <
    205028ebba838938d3b264dda1d0708fa7fe1ade
  - >-
    Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a <
    f13abc1e8e1a3b7455511c4e122750127f6bc9b0
  - Linux 6fb70694f8d1ac34e45246b0ac988f025e1e5b55
  - Linux >= 5.10.210 < 5.10.236
  - Linux >= 5.15.149 < 5.15.180
  - Linux >= 6.1.76 < 6.1.134
  - Linux >= 6.6.15 < 6.6.87
  - Linux >= 6.7.3 < 6.8
  - Linux 6.8
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T20:39:21.626419Z'
published: '2025-04-16'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T20:41:51.576Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-23138'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8658c75343ed00e5e154ebbe24335f51ba8db547'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/471c89b7d4f58bd6082f7c1fe14d4ca15c7f1284'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d40e3537265dea9e3c33021874437ff26dc18787'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6dafa27764183738dc5368b669b71e3d0d154f12'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56ec918e6c86c1536870e4373e91eddd0c44245f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d680b988656bb556c863d8b46d9b9096842bf3d'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/205028ebba838938d3b264dda1d0708fa7fe1ade'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f13abc1e8e1a3b7455511c4e122750127f6bc9b0'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.0021
epssPercentile: 0.11314
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.862Z'
---

## Overview

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

watch_queue: fix pipe accounting mismatch

Currently, watch_queue_set_size() modifies the pipe buffers charged to
user->pipe_bufs without updating the pipe->nr_accounted on the pipe
itself, due to the if (!pipe_has_watch_queue()) test in
pipe_resize_ring(). This means that when the pipe is ultimately freed,
we decrement user->pipe_bufs by something other than what than we had
charged to it, potentially leading to an underflow. This in turn can
cause subsequent too_many_pipe_buffers_soft() tests to fail with -EPERM.

To remedy this, explicitly account for the pipe usage in
watch_queue_set_size() to match the number set via account_pipe_buffers()

(It's unclear why watch_queue_set_size() does not update nr_accounted;
it may be due to intentional overprovisioning in watch_queue_set_size()?)

## Affected

- `Linux >= 162ae0e78bdabf84ef10c1293c4ed7865cb7d3c8 < 8658c75343ed00e5e154ebbe24335f51ba8db547`
- `Linux >= 3efbd114b91525bb095b8ae046382197d92126b9 < 471c89b7d4f58bd6082f7c1fe14d4ca15c7f1284`
- `Linux >= b87a1229d8668fbc78ebd9ca0fc797a76001c60f < d40e3537265dea9e3c33021874437ff26dc18787`
- `Linux >= 68e51bdb1194f11d3452525b99c98aff6f837b24 < 6dafa27764183738dc5368b669b71e3d0d154f12`
- `Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a < 56ec918e6c86c1536870e4373e91eddd0c44245f`
- `Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a < 2d680b988656bb556c863d8b46d9b9096842bf3d`
- `Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a < 205028ebba838938d3b264dda1d0708fa7fe1ade`
- `Linux >= e95aada4cb93d42e25c30a0ef9eb2923d9711d4a < f13abc1e8e1a3b7455511c4e122750127f6bc9b0`
- `Linux 6fb70694f8d1ac34e45246b0ac988f025e1e5b55`
- `Linux >= 5.10.210 < 5.10.236`
- `Linux >= 5.15.149 < 5.15.180`
- `Linux >= 6.1.76 < 6.1.134`
- `Linux >= 6.6.15 < 6.6.87`
- `Linux >= 6.7.3 < 6.8`
- `Linux 6.8`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.