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

ima: don't clear IMA_DIGSIG flag when setting or removing non-IMA xattr

Currently when both IMA and EVM are in fix mode, the IMA signature will
be reset to IMA hash if a program first stores IMA signature in
security.ima and then writes/removes some other security xattr for the
file.

For example, on Fedora, after booting the kernel with "ima_appraise=fix
evm=fix ima_policy=appraise_tcb" and installing rpm-plugin-ima,
installing/reinstalling a package will not make good reference IMA
signature generated. Instead IMA hash is generated,

# getfattr -m - -d -e hex /usr/bin/bash
# file: usr/bin/bash
security.ima=0x0404...

This happens because when setting security.selinux, the IMA_DIGSIG flag
that had been set early was cleared. As a result, IMA hash is generated
when the file is closed.

Similarly, IMA signature can be cleared on file close after removing
security xattr like security.evm or setting/removing ACL.

Prevent replacing the IMA file signature with a file hash, by preventing
the IMA_DIGSIG flag from being reset.

Here's a minimal C reproducer which sets security.selinux as the last
step which can also replaced by removing security.evm or setting ACL,

#include <stdio.h>
#include <sys/xattr.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {
const char* file_path = "/usr/sbin/test_binary";
const char* hex_string = "030204d33204490066306402304";
int length = strlen(hex_string);
char* ima_attr_value;
int fd;

fd = open(file_path, O_WRONLY|O_CREAT|O_EXCL, 0644);
if (fd == -1) {
perror("Error opening file");
return 1;
}

ima_attr_value = (char*)malloc(length / 2 );
for (int i = 0, j = 0; i < length; i += 2, j++) {
sscanf(hex_string + i, "%2hhx", &ima_attr_value[j]);
}

if (fsetxattr(fd, "security.ima", ima_attr_value, length/2, 0) == -1) {
perror("Error setting extended attribute");
close(fd);
return 1;
}

const char* selinux_value= "system_u:object_r:bin_t:s0";
if (fsetxattr(fd, "security.selinux", selinux_value, strlen(selinux_value), 0) == -1) {
perror("Error setting extended attribute");
close(fd);
return 1;
}

close(fd);

return 0;
}
Published: 2025-12-16
Score: 5.5 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8029-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8030-1 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8029-2 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8048-1 Linux kernel (OEM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8029-3 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-2 Linux kernel (FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8100-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-3 Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-4 Linux kernel (AWS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8125-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8126-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8095-5 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8165-1 Linux kernel (Azure FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8261-1 Linux kernel (Xilinx) vulnerabilities
History

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Low

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ima: don't clear IMA_DIGSIG flag when setting or removing non-IMA xattr Currently when both IMA and EVM are in fix mode, the IMA signature will be reset to IMA hash if a program first stores IMA signature in security.ima and then writes/removes some other security xattr for the file. For example, on Fedora, after booting the kernel with "ima_appraise=fix evm=fix ima_policy=appraise_tcb" and installing rpm-plugin-ima, installing/reinstalling a package will not make good reference IMA signature generated. Instead IMA hash is generated, # getfattr -m - -d -e hex /usr/bin/bash # file: usr/bin/bash security.ima=0x0404... This happens because when setting security.selinux, the IMA_DIGSIG flag that had been set early was cleared. As a result, IMA hash is generated when the file is closed. Similarly, IMA signature can be cleared on file close after removing security xattr like security.evm or setting/removing ACL. Prevent replacing the IMA file signature with a file hash, by preventing the IMA_DIGSIG flag from being reset. Here's a minimal C reproducer which sets security.selinux as the last step which can also replaced by removing security.evm or setting ACL, #include <stdio.h> #include <sys/xattr.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <string.h> #include <stdlib.h> int main() { const char* file_path = "/usr/sbin/test_binary"; const char* hex_string = "030204d33204490066306402304"; int length = strlen(hex_string); char* ima_attr_value; int fd; fd = open(file_path, O_WRONLY|O_CREAT|O_EXCL, 0644); if (fd == -1) { perror("Error opening file"); return 1; } ima_attr_value = (char*)malloc(length / 2 ); for (int i = 0, j = 0; i < length; i += 2, j++) { sscanf(hex_string + i, "%2hhx", &ima_attr_value[j]); } if (fsetxattr(fd, "security.ima", ima_attr_value, length/2, 0) == -1) { perror("Error setting extended attribute"); close(fd); return 1; } const char* selinux_value= "system_u:object_r:bin_t:s0"; if (fsetxattr(fd, "security.selinux", selinux_value, strlen(selinux_value), 0) == -1) { perror("Error setting extended attribute"); close(fd); return 1; } close(fd); return 0; }
Title ima: don't clear IMA_DIGSIG flag when setting or removing non-IMA xattr
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-11T21:48:15.966Z

Reserved: 2025-12-16T13:41:40.252Z

Link: CVE-2025-68183

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2025-12-16T14:15:50.880

Modified: 2026-04-15T00:35:42.020

Link: CVE-2025-68183

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Low

Publid Date: 2025-12-16T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2025-68183 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.