Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38734)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2025-38734). 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:
net/smc: fix UAF on smcsk after smc_listen_out()
BPF CI testing report a UAF issue:
[ 16.446633] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 000000000000003 0
[ 16.447134] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mod e
[ 16.447516] #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present pag e
[ 16.447878] PGD 0 P4D 0
[ 16.448063] Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPT I
[ 16.448409] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 9 Comm: kworker/0:1 Tainted: G OE 6.13.0-rc3-g89e8a75fda73-dirty #4 2
[ 16.449124] Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE, [E]=UNSIGNED_MODUL E
[ 16.449502] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/201 4
[ 16.450201] Workqueue: smc_hs_wq smc_listen_wor k
[ 16.450531] RIP: 0010:smc_listen_work+0xc02/0x159 0
[ 16.452158] RSP: 0018:ffffb5ab40053d98 EFLAGS: 0001024 6
[ 16.452526] RAX: 0000000000000001 RBX: 0000000000000002 RCX: 000000000000030 0
[ 16.452994] RDX: 0000000000000280 RSI: 00003513840053f0 RDI: 000000000000000 0
[ 16.453492] RBP: ffffa097808e3800 R08: ffffa09782dba1e0 R09: 000000000000000 5
[ 16.453987] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffffa0978274640 0
[ 16.454497] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffa09782d4092 0
[ 16.454996] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffffa097bbc00000(0000) knlGS:000000000000000 0
[ 16.455557] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR…
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-2025-38734 has been found in Linux kernel.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 9.8/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2025-38734" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2025-38734 (Linux kernel) — CWE-416 / CVSS v3 9.8
Attack vector: remote (network-reachable) / unauthenticated / 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: Critical (CVSS 9.8/10). 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-2025-38734 linux-lts
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38734 linux
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38734 linux
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