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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-37738: ext4: ignore xattrs past end

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.21% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4dd, 3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fd, 6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3; azl3 kernel 6.6.85.1-4 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.92.2-1; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.92.2-1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4dd, 3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fd, 6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3; azl3 kernel 6.6.85.1-4 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.92.2-1; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.92.2-1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: ignore xattrs past end Once inside 'ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all' we should ignore xattrs entries past the 'end' entry. This fixes the following KASAN reported issue: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0xb8c/0xe90 Read of size 4 at addr ffff888012c120c4 by task repro/2065 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 2065 Comm: repro Not tainted 6.13.0-rc2+ #11 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x1fd/0x300 ? tcp_gro_dev_warn+0x260/0x260 ? _printk+0xc0/0x100 ? read_lock_is_recursive+0x10/0x10 ? irq_work_queue+0x72/0xf0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x17b/0x4b0 print_address_description+0x78/0x390 print_report+0x107/0x1f0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x17b/0x4b0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x3ff/0x4b0 ? __phys_addr+0xb5/0x160 ? ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0xb8c/0xe90 kasan_report+0xcc/0x100 ? ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0xb8c/0xe90 ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all+0xb8c/0xe90 ? ext4_xattr_delete_inode+0xd30/0xd30 ? __ext4_journal_ensure_credits+0x5f0/0x5f0 ? __ext4_journal_ensure_credits+0x2b/0x5f0 ? inode_update_timestamps+0x410/0x410 ext4_xattr_delete_inode+0xb64/0xd30 ? ext4_truncate+0xb70/0xdc0 ? ext4_expand_extra_isize_ea+0x1d20/0x1d20 ? __ext4_mark_inode_dirty+0x670/0x670 ? ext4_journal_check_start+0x16f/0x240 ? ext4_inode_is_fast_symlink+0x2f2/0x3a0 ext4_evict_inode+0xc8c/0xff0 ? ext4_inode_is_fast_symlink+0x3a0/0x3a0 ? do_raw_spin_unlock+0x53/0x8a0 ? ext4_inode_is_fast_symlink+0x3a0/0x3a0 evict+0x4ac/0x950 ? proc_nr_inodes+0x310/0x310 ? trace_ext4_drop_inode+0xa2/0x220 ? _raw_spin_unlock+0x1a/0x30 ? iput+0x4cb/0x7e0 do_unlinkat+0x495/0x7c0 ? try_break_deleg+0x120/0x120 ? 0xffffffff81000000 ? __check_object_size+0x15a/0x210 ? strncpy_from_user+0x13e/0x250 ? getname_flags+0x1dc/0x530 __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xc8/0xf0 do_syscall_64+0x65/0x110 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0x6f RIP: 0033:0x434ffd Code: 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 00 f3 0f 1e fa 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 8 RSP: 002b:00007ffc50fa7b28 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000107 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007ffc50fa7e18 RCX: 0000000000434ffd RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000020000240 RDI: 0000000000000005 RBP: 00007ffc50fa7be0 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000001 R13: 00007ffc50fa7e08 R14: 00000000004bbf30 R15: 0000000000000001 </TASK> The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff888012c12000 which belongs to the cache filp of size 360 The buggy address is located 196 bytes inside of freed 360-byte region [ffff888012c12000, ffff888012c12168) The buggy address belongs to the physical page: page: refcount:1 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x0 pfn:0x12c12 head: order:1 mapcount:0 entire_mapcount:0 nr_pages_mapped:0 pincount:0 flags: 0x40(head|node=0|zone=0) page_type: f5(slab) raw: 0000000000000040 ffff888000ad7640 ffffea0000497a00 dead000000000004 raw: 0000000000000000 0000000000100010 00000001f5000000 0000000000000000 head: 0000000000000040 ffff888000ad7640 ffffea0000497a00 dead000000000004 head: 0000000000000000 0000000000100010 00000001f5000000 0000000000000000 head: 0000000000000001 ffffea00004b0481 ffffffffffffffff 0000000000000000 head: 0000000000000002 0000000000000000 00000000ffffffff 0000000000000000 page dumped because: kasan: bad access detected Memory state around the buggy address: ffff888012c11f80: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ffff888012c12000: fa fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb > ffff888012c12080: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb ^ ffff888012c12100: fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fb fc fc fc ffff888012c12180: fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc fc ---truncated---

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
May 1, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 12th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.8
CNA · Linux
7.8
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel
debiandebian linux

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • debian debian linux11.0
  • linux linux kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.237
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.181
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.135
  • linux linux kernelbefore 5.4.293
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.24
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.13.12
  • linux linux kernel6.14 and later · before 6.14.3
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.88

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 4.13affected
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before 6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3affected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before 76c365fa7e2a8bb85f0190cdb4b8cdc99b2fdce3affected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before f737418b6de31c962c7192777ee4018906975383affected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before cf9291a3449b04688b81e32621e88de8f4314b54affected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before 362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4ddaffected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before eb59cc31b6ea076021d14b04e7faab1636b87d0eaffected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before 3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fdaffected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before 836e625b03a666cf93ff5be328c8cb30336db872affected · git
    • e50e5129f384ae282adebfb561189cdb19b81cee and later · before c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cdaffected · git

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:8bpftoolbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernelbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-abi-stablelistsbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-corebefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-cross-headersbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debugbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-corebefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-develbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-modulesbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-modules-extrabefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-develbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-docbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-headersbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-modulesbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-modules-extrabefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rtbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-corebefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debugbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-corebefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-develbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-modulesbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-modules-extrabefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-develbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-modulesbefore 4.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_104.18.0-553.62.1.rt7.403.el8_10

+96

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-23145May 1, 2025 · mptcp: fix NULL pointer in can_accept_new_subflow
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-23151May 1, 2025 · bus: mhi: host: Fix race between unprepare and queue_buf
    18Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-37743May 1, 2025 · wifi: ath12k: Avoid memory leak while enabling statistics
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4ddVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fdVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux76c365fa7e2a8bb85f0190cdb4b8cdc99b2fdce3Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux836e625b03a666cf93ff5be328c8cb30336db872Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxc8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cdVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxcf9291a3449b04688b81e32621e88de8f4314b54Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxeb59cc31b6ea076021d14b04e7faab1636b87d0eVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxf737418b6de31c962c7192777ee4018906975383Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.85.1-4 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.92.2-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-1 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.92.2-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
almalinux:bpftool4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-abi-stablelists4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-core4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-cross-headers4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-debug4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-debug-core4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-debug-devel4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-debug-modules4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-debug-modules-extra4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-devel4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-doc4.18.0-553.62.1.el8_10 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux6.1.135-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
red hat:bpftool-debuginfo0:7.0.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-debuginfo0:5.14.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-devel0:5.14.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched0:5.14.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debuginfo0:5.14.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-devel0:5.14.0-284.124.1.el9_2 · Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)

+8

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-416 · Use After Free

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-416 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

c
free(dev->buf);/* ... another thread is still running ... */process(dev->buf);

Fixed

c
lock(&dev->lock);free(dev->buf);dev->buf = NULL;unlock(&dev->lock);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. SSVC exploitation— → none
  2. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (10 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records