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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38165: bpf, sockmap: Fix panic when calling skb_linearize

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • 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: 0.35% (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 3d25fa2d7f127348c818e1dab9e58534f7ac56cc, 4dba44333a11522df54b49aa1f2edfaf6ce35fc7, 5.15.190; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.96.1-1.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.5, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 3d25fa2d7f127348c818e1dab9e58534f7ac56cc, 4dba44333a11522df54b49aa1f2edfaf6ce35fc7, 5.15.190; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.96.1-1 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: bpf, sockmap: Fix panic when calling skb_linearize The panic can be reproduced by executing the command: ./bench sockmap -c 2 -p 1 -a --rx-verdict-ingress --rx-strp 100000 Then a kernel panic was captured: ''' [ 657.460555] kernel BUG at net/core/skbuff.c:2178! [ 657.462680] Tainted: [W]=WARN [ 657.463287] Workqueue: events sk_psock_backlog ... [ 657.469610] <TASK> [ 657.469738] ? die+0x36/0x90 [ 657.469916] ? do_trap+0x1d0/0x270 [ 657.470118] ? pskb_expand_head+0x612/0xf40 [ 657.470376] ? pskb_expand_head+0x612/0xf40 [ 657.470620] ? do_error_trap+0xa3/0x170 [ 657.470846] ? pskb_expand_head+0x612/0xf40 [ 657.471092] ? handle_invalid_op+0x2c/0x40 [ 657.471335] ? pskb_expand_head+0x612/0xf40 [ 657.471579] ? exc_invalid_op+0x2d/0x40 [ 657.471805] ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1a/0x20 [ 657.472052] ? pskb_expand_head+0xd1/0xf40 [ 657.472292] ? pskb_expand_head+0x612/0xf40 [ 657.472540] ? lock_acquire+0x18f/0x4e0 [ 657.472766] ? find_held_lock+0x2d/0x110 [ 657.472999] ? __pfx_pskb_expand_head+0x10/0x10 [ 657.473263] ? __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x5b/0x470 [ 657.473537] ? __pfx___lock_release.isra.0+0x10/0x10 [ 657.473826] __pskb_pull_tail+0xfd/0x1d20 [ 657.474062] ? __kasan_slab_alloc+0x4e/0x90 [ 657.474707] sk_psock_skb_ingress_enqueue+0x3bf/0x510 [ 657.475392] ? __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 [ 657.476010] sk_psock_backlog+0x5cf/0xd70 [ 657.476637] process_one_work+0x858/0x1a20 ''' The panic originates from the assertion BUG_ON(skb_shared(skb)) in skb_linearize(). A previous commit(see Fixes tag) introduced skb_get() to avoid race conditions between skb operations in the backlog and skb release in the recvmsg path. However, this caused the panic to always occur when skb_linearize is executed. The "--rx-strp 100000" parameter forces the RX path to use the strparser module which aggregates data until it reaches 100KB before calling sockmap logic. The 100KB payload exceeds MAX_MSG_FRAGS, triggering skb_linearize. To fix this issue, just move skb_get into sk_psock_skb_ingress_enqueue. ''' sk_psock_backlog: sk_psock_handle_skb skb_get(skb) <== we move it into 'sk_psock_skb_ingress_enqueue' sk_psock_skb_ingress____________ ↓ | | → sk_psock_skb_ingress_self | sk_psock_skb_ingress_enqueue sk_psock_verdict_apply_________________↑ skb_linearize ''' Note that for verdict_apply path, the skb_get operation is unnecessary so we add 'take_ref' param to control it's behavior.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 29th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.5
2.0 point gap

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

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

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  • 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 kernel6.1.54 and later · before 6.1.142
  • linux linux kernel6.5.4 and later · before 6.6.94
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.34
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.3
  • linux linux kernel5.15.189

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

    • e6b5e47adb9166e732cdf7e6e034946e3f89f36d, 6.6affected
    • 65ad600b9bde68d2d28709943ab00b51ca8f0a1d and later · before 4dba44333a11522df54b49aa1f2edfaf6ce35fc7affected · git
    • 923877254f002ae87d441382bb1096d9e773d56d and later · before 9718ba6490732dbe70190d42c21deb1440834402affected · git
    • a454d84ee20baf7bd7be90721b9821f73c7d23d9 and later · before db1d15a26f21f97459508c42ae87cabe8d3afc3baffected · git
    • a454d84ee20baf7bd7be90721b9821f73c7d23d9 and later · before 3d25fa2d7f127348c818e1dab9e58534f7ac56ccaffected · git
    • a454d84ee20baf7bd7be90721b9821f73c7d23d9 and later · before e9c1299d813fc04668042690f2c3cc76d013959aaffected · git
    • a454d84ee20baf7bd7be90721b9821f73c7d23d9 and later · before 5ca2e29f6834c64c0e5a9ccf1278c21fb49b827eaffected · git
    • 5.15.189 and later · before 5.15.190affected · semver
    • 6.1.54 and later · before 6.1.142affected · semver
    • 6.5.4 and later · before 6.6affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.147-16.1.147-1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.35-16.12.35-1

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-2025-38163Jul 3, 2025 · f2fs: fix to do sanity check on sbi->total_valid_block_count
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38164Jul 3, 2025 · f2fs: zone: fix to avoid inconsistence in between SIT and SSA
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38167Jul 3, 2025 · fs/ntfs3: handle hdr_first_de() return value
    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 Linux3d25fa2d7f127348c818e1dab9e58534f7ac56ccVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4dba44333a11522df54b49aa1f2edfaf6ce35fc7Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.15.190Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5ca2e29f6834c64c0e5a9ccf1278c21fb49b827eVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.1.142Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.6Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9718ba6490732dbe70190d42c21deb1440834402Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxdb1d15a26f21f97459508c42ae87cabe8d3afc3bVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxe9c1299d813fc04668042690f2c3cc76d013959aVendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.96.1-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:linux6.1.147-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

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. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

Show all references (6 more)

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

All records