Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38578)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38578). 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:
f2fs: fix to avoid UAF in f2fs_sync_inode_meta()
syzbot reported an UAF issue as below: [1] [2]
[1] https://syzkaller.appspot.com/text?tag=CrashReport&x=16594c60580000
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in __list_del_entry_valid+0xa6/0x130 lib/list_debug.c:62
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888100567dc8 by task kworker/u4:0/8
CPU: 1 PID: 8 Comm: kworker/u4:0 Tainted: G W 6.1.129-syzkaller-00017-g642656a36791 #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 02/12/2025
Workqueue: writeback wb_workfn (flush-7:0)
Call Trace:
__dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline]
dump_stack_lvl+0x151/0x1b7 lib/dump_stack.c:106
print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:316 [inline]
print_report+0x158/0x4e0 mm/kasan/report.c:427
kasan_report+0x13c/0x170 mm/kasan/report.c:531
__asan_report_load8_noabort+0x14/0x20 mm/kasan/report_generic.c:351
__list_del_entry_valid+0xa6/0x130 lib/list_debug.c:62
__list_del_entry include/linux/list.h:134 [inline]
list_del_init include/linux/list.h:206 [inline]
f2fs_inode_synced+0x100/0x2e0 fs/f2fs/super.c:1553
f2fs_update_inode+0x72/0x1c40 fs/f2fs/inode.c:588
f2fs_update_inode_page+0x135/0x170 fs/f2fs/inode.c:706
f2fs_write_inode+0x416/0x790 fs/f2fs/inode.c:734
write_inode fs/fs-writeback.c:1460 [inline]
__writeback_single_inode+0x4cf/0xb80 fs/fs-writeback.c:1677
writebac…
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-2025-38578 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-2025-38578" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-38578 (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-2025-38578 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.1.151-r0
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38578 linux Fixed in: 5.10.244-1
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38578 linux-azure
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 git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web lists.debian.org
- web lists.debian.org