cbcvebase.
CVE-2025-37814
published 2025-05-08

CVE-2025-37814: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: Require CAP_SYS_ADMIN for all usages of TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT This requirement was…

PriorityP425medium5.5CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCNINAH
EPSS
0.19%
9.2th percentile
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: Require CAP_SYS_ADMIN for all usages of TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT This requirement was overeagerly loosened in commit 2f83e38a095f ("tty: Permit some TIOCL_SETSEL modes without CAP_SYS_ADMIN"), but as it turns out, (1) the logic I implemented there was inconsistent (apologies!), (2) TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT might actually be a small security risk after all, and (3) TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT is only meant to be used by the mouse daemon (GPM or Consolation), which runs as CAP_SYS_ADMIN already. In more detail: 1. The previous patch has inconsistent logic: In commit 2f83e38a095f ("tty: Permit some TIOCL_SETSEL modes without CAP_SYS_ADMIN"), we checked for sel_mode == TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT, but overlooked that the lower four bits of this "mode" parameter were actually used as an additional way to pass an argument. So the patch did actually still require CAP_SYS_ADMIN, if any of the mouse button bits are set, but did not require it if none of the mouse buttons bits are set. This logic is inconsistent and was not intentional. We should have the same policies for using TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT independent of the value of the "hidden" mouse button argument. I sent a separate documentation patch to the man page list with more details on TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/ 2. TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT is indeed a potential security risk which can let an attacker simulate "keyboard" input to command line applications on the same terminal, like TIOCSTI and some other TIOCLINUX "selection mode" IOCTLs. By enabling mouse reporting on a terminal and then injecting mouse reports through TIOCL_SELMOUSEREPORT, an attacker can simulate mouse movements on the same terminal, similar to the TIOCSTI keystroke injection attacks that were previously possible with TIOCSTI and other TIOCL_SETSEL selection modes. Many programs (including libreadline/bash) are then prone to m

Affected

16 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
debianlinux< linux 6.12.27-1 (forky)linux 6.12.27-1 (forky)
linuxlinux
linuxlinux
linuxlinux>= 2f83e38a095f8bf7c6029883d894668b03b9bd93 < 9b50c9c97db953de756a39af83d4be4d7f618aa69b50c9c97db953de756a39af83d4be4d7f618aa6
linuxlinux>= 2f83e38a095f8bf7c6029883d894668b03b9bd93 < ee6a44da3c87cf64d67dd02be8c0127a5bf56175ee6a44da3c87cf64d67dd02be8c0127a5bf56175
linuxlinux>= 6.12.14 < 6.12.266.12.26
linuxlinux>= 6.13.3 < 6.146.14
linuxlinux>= e46d91ca504d69ae3d09c120b162a238b8013890 < 6f021bc0083b96125fdbed6a60d7b4396c4d6dac6f021bc0083b96125fdbed6a60d7b4396c4d6dac
linuxlinux_kernel
linuxlinux_kernel
linuxlinux_kernel
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.12.27-16.12.27-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.12.27-16.12.27-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.14.0-22.226.14.0-22.22
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.12.14 < 6.12.266.12.26
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.13.3 < 6.14.56.14.5

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.15.5MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
osv5.5MEDIUM
vendor_debian5.5LOW
vendor_redhat5.5MEDIUM
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