CVE-2025-38282: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard
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: 0.18% (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 071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a, 2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f, 6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.96.1-1; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.96.1-1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a, 2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f, 6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927; azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.96.1-1; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.1-1 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: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active() as found out by Chen Ridong: kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1 __kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002 kernfs_drain ... wait_event //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfs_break_active_protection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfs_unbreak_active_protection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfs_should_drain_open_files // warning occurs kernfs_put_active To avoid the false positives (mind panic_on_warn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)
- Published
- Jul 10, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 8th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
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
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_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 and later · before 6.1.142
- linux linux kernel6.2 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
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
- 6.1affected
- bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 and later · before 2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4faffected · git
- bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 and later · before 6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503abaffected · git
- bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 and later · before 6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927affected · git
- bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 and later · before 72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63affected · git
- bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 and later · before 071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8aaffected · git
- before 6.1not affected · semver
- 6.1.142 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
- 6.6.94 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
- 6.12.34 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.147-1 | 6.1.147-1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.35-1 | 6.12.35-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- 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 KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-38280Jul 10, 2025 · bpf: Avoid __bpf_prog_ret0_warn when jit fails31Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-38281Jul 10, 2025 · wifi: mt76: mt7996: Add NULL check in mt7996_thermal_init22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2025-38285Jul 10, 2025 · bpf: Fix WARN() in get_bpf_raw_tp_regs22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63 | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.92.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 6.6.96.1-1 · CBL-Mariner Releases | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.96.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 6.6.96.1-1 · CBL-Mariner Releases | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.147-1 · Debian:12 | Package 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 researchersFinders, 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
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.