Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38118)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38118). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Original description
The description as published by the source.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
Bluetooth: MGMT: Fix UAF on mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete
This reworks MGMT_OP_REMOVE_ADV_MONITOR to not use mgmt_pending_add to
avoid crashes like bellow:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete+0xe5/0x540 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:5406
Read of size 8 at addr ffff88801c53f318 by task kworker/u5:5/5341
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5341 Comm: kworker/u5:5 Not tainted 6.15.0-syzkaller-10402-g4cb6c8af8591 #0 PREEMPT(full)
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2~bpo12+1 04/01/2014
Workqueue: hci0 hci_cmd_sync_work
Call Trace:
dump_stack_lvl+0x189/0x250 lib/dump_stack.c:120
print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:408 [inline]
print_report+0xd2/0x2b0 mm/kasan/report.c:521
kasan_report+0x118/0x150 mm/kasan/report.c:634
mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete+0xe5/0x540 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:5406
hci_cmd_sync_work+0x261/0x3a0 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:334
process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3238 [inline]
process_scheduled_works+0xade/0x17b0 kernel/workqueue.c:3321
worker_thread+0x8a0/0xda0 kernel/workqueue.c:3402
kthread+0x711/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:464
ret_from_fork+0x3fc/0x770 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:148
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245
Allocated by task 5987:
kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline]
kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c…
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database NVD
Auto-generated summary
Assembled by SecPulse from the source data (CVSS, CWE, affected versions) using templates — no AI involved. Check the original description and references below for exact details.
A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-38118 has been found in Linux kernel.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 7.8/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-38118" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-38118 (Linux kernel) — CWE-416 / CVSS v3 7.8
Attack vector: local / no user interaction
Plan: 1) Audit SBOM/dependencies, 2) Stage→prod upgrade, 3) Add WAF/proxy monitoring on affected endpoints, 4) Hunt IOCs in logs.
Refs: see the GHSA / vendor advisory / patched release linked on this page.
Use-after-free (CWE-416) exists in Linux kernel.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.8/10). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Update to the patched release per vendor advisory.
Until the patch is applied: disable the affected feature, apply WAF rules, or restrict access via network ACLs.
Search webserver/proxy logs for unusual request patterns matching this CVE's known IOCs. Audit SBOM/dependencies to find affected services.
Response actions
Concrete steps and command examples for SOC/SRE teams to execute in order
-
1Identify exposure identify
Audit SBOM/dependencies for affected components.資産台帳・SBOM・依存マニフェストで Linux kernel を使っているサービスとバージョンを洗い出す。
-
2Post-deployment verification verify
Confirm patched version is live in productionパッチ適用後、ステージングで PoC または同等の悪用パターンを再現して脆弱性が閉じたことを確認。本番ではアクセスログ・WAF でアラート再発が無いか継続監視。
Affected packages
Fix status by distribution
Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE
- BellSoft Alpaquita BELL-CVE-2025-38118 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.1.143-r1
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38118 linux Fixed in: 6.1.147-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38118 linux-hwe-edge
References
- advisory github.com
- advisory nvd.nist.gov
- package git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web lists.debian.org