Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel (CVE-2025-38500)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux Kernel (CVE-2025-38500). 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:
xfrm: interface: fix use-after-free after changing collect_md xfrm interface
collect_md property on xfrm interfaces can only be set on device creation,
thus xfrmi_changelink() should fail when called on such interfaces.
The check to enforce this was done only in the case where the xi was
returned from xfrmi_locate() which doesn't look for the collect_md
interface, and thus the validation was never reached.
Calling changelink would thus errornously place the special interface xi
in the xfrmi_net->xfrmi hash, but since it also exists in the
xfrmi_net->collect_md_xfrmi pointer it would lead to a double free when
the net namespace was taken down [1].
Change the check to use the xi from netdev_priv which is available earlier
in the function to prevent changes in xfrm collect_md interfaces.
[1] resulting oops:
[ 8.516540] kernel BUG at net/core/dev.c:12029!
[ 8.516552] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
[ 8.516559] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 12 Comm: kworker/u80:0 Not tainted 6.15.0-virtme #5 PREEMPT(voluntary)
[ 8.516565] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
[ 8.516569] Workqueue: netns cleanup_net
[ 8.516579] RIP: 0010:unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x101/0xab0
[ 8.516590] Code: 90 0f 0b 90 48 8b b0 78 01 00 00 48 8b 90 80 01 00 00 48 89 56 08 48 89 32 4c 89 80 78 01 00 00 48 89 b8 80 01 00 00 eb ac 90 <0f> 0b 48 8b 45 00 4c…
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-2025-38500 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-2025-38500" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-38500 (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。
Fix status by distribution
Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE
- BellSoft Alpaquita BELL-CVE-2025-38500 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.1.151-r0
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38500 linux Fixed in: 6.1.148-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38500 linux-hwe-edge
References
- advisory lists.debian.org
- patch git.kernel.org
- patch git.kernel.org
- patch git.kernel.org
- patch git.kernel.org
- patch git.kernel.org