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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38440: net/mlx5e: Fix race between DIM disable and net_dim()

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

  • 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: 0.14% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 2bc6fb90486e42dd80e660ef7a40c02b2516c6d6, 7581afc051542e11ccf3ade68acd01b7fb1a3cde, eb41a264a3a576dc040ee37c3d9d6b7e2d9be968.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 4.7.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 2bc6fb90486e42dd80e660ef7a40c02b2516c6d6, 7581afc051542e11ccf3ade68acd01b7fb1a3cde, eb41a264a3a576dc040ee37c3d9d6b7e2d9be968 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/mlx5e: Fix race between DIM disable and net_dim() There's a race between disabling DIM and NAPI callbacks using the dim pointer on the RQ or SQ. If NAPI checks the DIM state bit and sees it still set, it assumes `rq->dim` or `sq->dim` is valid. But if DIM gets disabled right after that check, the pointer might already be set to NULL, leading to a NULL pointer dereference in net_dim(). Fix this by calling `synchronize_net()` before freeing the DIM context. This ensures all in-progress NAPI callbacks are finished before the pointer is cleared. Kernel log: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 ... RIP: 0010:net_dim+0x23/0x190 ... Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die+0x20/0x60 ? page_fault_oops+0x150/0x3e0 ? common_interrupt+0xf/0xa0 ? sysvec_call_function_single+0xb/0x90 ? exc_page_fault+0x74/0x130 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x22/0x30 ? net_dim+0x23/0x190 ? mlx5e_poll_ico_cq+0x41/0x6f0 [mlx5_core] ? sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0xb/0x90 mlx5e_handle_rx_dim+0x92/0xd0 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_napi_poll+0x2cd/0xac0 [mlx5_core] ? mlx5e_poll_ico_cq+0xe5/0x6f0 [mlx5_core] busy_poll_stop+0xa2/0x200 ? mlx5e_napi_poll+0x1d9/0xac0 [mlx5_core] ? mlx5e_trigger_irq+0x130/0x130 [mlx5_core] __napi_busy_loop+0x345/0x3b0 ? sysvec_call_function_single+0xb/0x90 ? asm_sysvec_call_function_single+0x16/0x20 ? sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0xb/0x90 ? pcpu_free_area+0x1e4/0x2e0 napi_busy_loop+0x11/0x20 xsk_recvmsg+0x10c/0x130 sock_recvmsg+0x44/0x70 __sys_recvfrom+0xbc/0x130 ? __schedule+0x398/0x890 __x64_sys_recvfrom+0x20/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x4c/0x100 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 ... ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- ... ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt ]---

MediumCVSS 4.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 3th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

18

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
18 / 40 · 4.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
4.7
CNA · Linux
7.8
3.1 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

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  • 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 kernel6.10 and later · before 6.12.39
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.7
  • 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

    • 6.10affected
    • 445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 and later · before 7581afc051542e11ccf3ade68acd01b7fb1a3cdeaffected · git
    • 445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 and later · before 2bc6fb90486e42dd80e660ef7a40c02b2516c6d6affected · git
    • 445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 and later · before eb41a264a3a576dc040ee37c3d9d6b7e2d9be968affected · git
    • before 6.10not affected · semver
    • 6.12.39 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
    • 6.15.7 and later · up to and including 6.15.*not affected · semver
    • 6.16 and laternot affected · original_commit_for_fix

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.41-16.12.41-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 6.16.3-16.16.3-1

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-2025-38430Jul 25, 2025 · nfsd: nfsd4_spo_must_allow() must check this is a v4 compound request
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38439Jul 25, 2025 · bnxt_en: Set DMA unmap len correctly for XDP_REDIRECT
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38449Jul 25, 2025 · drm/gem: Acquire references on GEM handles for framebuffers
    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 Linux2bc6fb90486e42dd80e660ef7a40c02b2516c6d6Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux7581afc051542e11ccf3ade68acd01b7fb1a3cdeVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxeb41a264a3a576dc040ee37c3d9d6b7e2d9be968Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.12.41-1 · Debian:13Package 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.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-362 · Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

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

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

References

Show all references (2 more)

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

All records