---
id: CVE-2025-71079
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: nfc: fix deadlock between nfc_unregister_device and rfkill_fop_write

  A deadlock can occur between nfc_unregister_device() and rfkill_fop_write()
  due to lock order…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: nfc: fix deadlock between nfc_unregister_device and rfkill_fop_write

  A deadlock can occur between nfc_unregister_device() and rfkill_fop_write()
  due to lock order…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-667
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.4.293, < 4.5'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.9.291, < 4.10'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.14.256, < 4.15'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.19.218, < 4.20'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.4.162, < 5.5'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.10.82, < 5.10.248'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.15.5, < 5.15.198'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16.1, < 6.1.160'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.120'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.64'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.4'
  - linux_kernel = 5.16
  - linux_kernel = 6.19
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.18.4
published: '2026-01-13'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T02:18:16.717'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71079'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ab526d97a57e44d26fadcc0e9adeb9c0c0182f5'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e0831e9fc46a06daa6d4d8d57a2738e343130c3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b93c8ab6f6cda8818983a4ae3fcf84b023037b4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8fc4632fb508432895430cd02b38086bdd649083'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e02a1c33f10a0ed3aba855ab8ae2b6c4c5be8012'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee41f4f3ccf8cd6ba3732e867abbec7e6d8d12e5'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3a8a7c1aa278f2378b2f3a10500c6674dffdfda'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-457936.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00106
epssPercentile: 0.01114
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.995Z'
---

## Overview

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

net: nfc: fix deadlock between nfc_unregister_device and rfkill_fop_write

A deadlock can occur between nfc_unregister_device() and rfkill_fop_write()
due to lock ordering inversion between device_lock and rfkill_global_mutex.

The problematic lock order is:

Thread A (rfkill_fop_write):
  rfkill_fop_write()
    mutex_lock(&rfkill_global_mutex)
      rfkill_set_block()
        nfc_rfkill_set_block()
          nfc_dev_down()
            device_lock(&dev->dev)    <- waits for device_lock

Thread B (nfc_unregister_device):
  nfc_unregister_device()
    device_lock(&dev->dev)
      rfkill_unregister()
        mutex_lock(&rfkill_global_mutex)  <- waits for rfkill_global_mutex

This creates a classic ABBA deadlock scenario.

Fix this by moving rfkill_unregister() and rfkill_destroy() outside the
device_lock critical section. Store the rfkill pointer in a local variable
before releasing the lock, then call rfkill_unregister() after releasing
device_lock.

This change is safe because rfkill_fop_write() holds rfkill_global_mutex
while calling the rfkill callbacks, and rfkill_unregister() also acquires
rfkill_global_mutex before cleanup. Therefore, rfkill_unregister() will
wait for any ongoing callback to complete before proceeding, and
device_del() is only called after rfkill_unregister() returns, preventing
any use-after-free.

The similar lock ordering in nfc_register_device() (device_lock ->
rfkill_global_mutex via rfkill_register) is safe because during
registration the device is not yet in rfkill_list, so no concurrent
rfkill operations can occur on this device.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 4.4.293, < 4.5`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.9.291, < 4.10`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.14.256, < 4.15`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.19.218, < 4.20`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.4.162, < 5.5`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.10.82, < 5.10.248`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.15.5, < 5.15.198`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16.1, < 6.1.160`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.120`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.64`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.4`
- `linux_kernel = 5.16`
- `linux_kernel = 6.19`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.18.4`