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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38273: net: tipc: fix refcount warning in tipc_aead_encrypt

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: 0.20% (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 307391e8fe70401a6d39ecc9978e13c2c0cdf81f, 445d59025d76d0638b03110f8791d5b89ed5162d, 5.10.239.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 307391e8fe70401a6d39ecc9978e13c2c0cdf81f, 445d59025d76d0638b03110f8791d5b89ed5162d, 5.10.239 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: net: tipc: fix refcount warning in tipc_aead_encrypt syzbot reported a refcount warning [1] caused by calling get_net() on a network namespace that is being destroyed (refcount=0). This happens when a TIPC discovery timer fires during network namespace cleanup. The recently added get_net() call in commit e279024617134 ("net/tipc: fix slab-use-after-free Read in tipc_aead_encrypt_done") attempts to hold a reference to the network namespace. However, if the namespace is already being destroyed, its refcount might be zero, leading to the use-after-free warning. Replace get_net() with maybe_get_net(), which safely checks if the refcount is non-zero before incrementing it. If the namespace is being destroyed, return -ENODEV early, after releasing the bearer reference. [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/all/68342b55.a70a0220.253bc2.0091.GAE@google.com/T/#m12019cf9ae77e1954f666914640efa36d52704a2

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 10, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 10th percentile
CWE
—

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 · 0.2%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.8
2.3 point gap

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

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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When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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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 kernel6.14.9 and later · before 6.15
  • linux linux kernel6.15.1 and later · before 6.15.3
  • linux linux kernel6.12.31 and later · before 6.12.34
  • linux linux kernel5.10.238
  • linux linux kernel5.15.185
  • linux linux kernel6.1.141
  • linux linux kernel6.15
  • linux linux kernel6.6.93

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

    • 4a0fddc2c0d5c28aec8c262ad4603be0bef1938c, 6.15affected
    • d42ed4de6aba232d946d20653a70f79158a6535b and later · before 445d59025d76d0638b03110f8791d5b89ed5162daffected · git
    • f5c2c4eaaa5a8e7e0685ec031d480e588e263e59 and later · before e0b11227c4e8eb4bdf1b86aa8f0f3abb24e0f029affected · git
    • b8fcae6d2e93c54cacb8f579a77d827c1c643eb5 and later · before 307391e8fe70401a6d39ecc9978e13c2c0cdf81faffected · git
    • b19fc1d0be3c3397e5968fe2627f22e7f84673b1 and later · before acab7ca5ff19889b80a8ee7dec220ee1a96dede9affected · git
    • 689a205cd968a1572ab561b0c4c2d50a10e9d3b0 and later · before c762fc79d710d676b793f9d98b1414efe6eb51e6affected · git
    • e279024617134c94fd3e37470156534d5f2b3472 and later · before 9ff60e0d9974dccf24e89bcd3ee7933e538d929faffected · git
    • e279024617134c94fd3e37470156534d5f2b3472 and later · before f29ccaa07cf3d35990f4d25028cc55470d29372baffected · git
    • 5.10.238 and later · before 5.10.239affected · semver
    • 5.15.185 and later · before 5.15.186affected · 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-2025-38269Jul 10, 2025 · btrfs: exit after state insertion failure at btrfs_convert_extent_bit()
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38271Jul 10, 2025 · net: prevent a NULL deref in rtnl_create_link()
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38274Jul 10, 2025 · fpga: fix potential null pointer deref in fpga_mgr_test_img_load_sgt()
    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 Linux307391e8fe70401a6d39ecc9978e13c2c0cdf81fVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux445d59025d76d0638b03110f8791d5b89ed5162dVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.10.239Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5.15.186Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.1.142Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.12.34Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.15Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.6.94Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9ff60e0d9974dccf24e89bcd3ee7933e538d929fVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxacab7ca5ff19889b80a8ee7dec220ee1a96dede9Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxc762fc79d710d676b793f9d98b1414efe6eb51e6Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxe0b11227c4e8eb4bdf1b86aa8f0f3abb24e0f029Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxf29ccaa07cf3d35990f4d25028cc55470d29372bVendor (CNA)
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)

—

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 (8 more)

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

All records