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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38408: genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly

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 186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861, 19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a, 7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c; cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0 Release Notes.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861, 19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a, 7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c; cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0 Release Notes 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: genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly Initialize `ops` member's pointers properly by using kzalloc() instead of kmalloc() when allocating the simulation work context. Otherwise the pointers contain random content leading to invalid dereferencing.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 10th 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 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

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

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2025-38408

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

Affected versions

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

  • linux linux kernel5.8 and later · before 6.12.37
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.6
  • linux linux kernel6.16

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

    • 5.8affected
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before 186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861affected · git
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fbaffected · git
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629affected · git
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before 19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080aaffected · git
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before 7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955caffected · git
    • 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 and later · before 8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819affected · git
    • before 5.8not affected · semver
    • 5.15.199 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
    • 6.1.162 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.162-16.1.162-1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.37-16.12.37-1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_5before 1-150700.15.3.11-150700.15.3.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_5before 1-150700.1.3.11-150700.1.3.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7kernel-64kbbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7kernel-defaultbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7kernel-default-basebefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.1.150700.17.13.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1.150700.17.13.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7kernel-sourcebefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7kernel-zfcpdumpbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7kernel-docsbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7kernel-obs-buildbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7kernel-symsbefore 6.4.0-150700.53.19.16.4.0-150700.53.19.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP7kernel-rtbefore 6.4.0-150700.7.19.16.4.0-150700.7.19.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP7kernel-source-rtbefore 6.4.0-150700.7.19.16.4.0-150700.7.19.1
SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP7kernel-syms-rtbefore 6.4.0-150700.7.19.16.4.0-150700.7.19.1

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-2025-38402Jul 25, 2025 · idpf: return 0 size for RSS key if not supported
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38405Jul 25, 2025 · nvmet: fix memory leak of bio integrity
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38412Jul 25, 2025 · platform/x86: dell-wmi-sysman: Fix WMI data block retrieval in sysfs callbacks
    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 Linux186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080aVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955cVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxc71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fbVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629Vendor (CNA)
cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:linux6.1.162-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-64kb6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-default6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-default-base6.4.0-150700.53.19.1.150700.17.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-docs6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_51-150700.15.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_51-150700.1.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-obs-build6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-rt6.4.0-150700.7.19.1 · SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-source6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-source-rt6.4.0-150700.7.19.1 · SUSE:Real Time Module 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-syms6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-zfcpdump6.4.0-150700.53.19.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7Package 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-476 · NULL Pointer Dereference

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

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

References

Show all references (5 more)

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

All records