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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38478: comedi: Fix initialization of data for instructions that write to subdevice

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: 0.19% (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 020eed5681d0f9bced73970368078a92d6cfaa9c, 13e4d9038a1e869445a996a3f604a84ef52fe8f4, 46d8c744136ce2454aa4c35c138cc06817f92b8e.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 020eed5681d0f9bced73970368078a92d6cfaa9c, 13e4d9038a1e869445a996a3f604a84ef52fe8f4, 46d8c744136ce2454aa4c35c138cc06817f92b8e 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: comedi: Fix initialization of data for instructions that write to subdevice Some Comedi subdevice instruction handlers are known to access instruction data elements beyond the first `insn->n` elements in some cases. The `do_insn_ioctl()` and `do_insnlist_ioctl()` functions allocate at least `MIN_SAMPLES` (16) data elements to deal with this, but they do not initialize all of that. For Comedi instruction codes that write to the subdevice, the first `insn->n` data elements are copied from user-space, but the remaining elements are left uninitialized. That could be a problem if the subdevice instruction handler reads the uninitialized data. Ensure that the first `MIN_SAMPLES` elements are initialized before calling these instruction handlers, filling the uncopied elements with 0. For `do_insnlist_ioctl()`, the same data buffer elements are used for handling a list of instructions, so ensure the first `MIN_SAMPLES` elements are initialized for each instruction that writes to the subdevice.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 28, 2025
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 8th 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 · 0.1%

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-2025-38478

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 kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.241
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.190
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.147
  • linux linux kernel2.6.29 and later · before 5.4.297
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.40
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.8
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.100
  • 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

    • 2.6.29affected
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before 6f38c6380c3b38a05032b8881e41137385a6ce02affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before 13e4d9038a1e869445a996a3f604a84ef52fe8f4affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before 020eed5681d0f9bced73970368078a92d6cfaa9caffected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before d3436638738ace8f101af7bdee2eae1bc38e9b29affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before 673ee92bd2d31055bca98a1d96b653f5284289c4affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before c42116dc70af6664526f7aa82cf937824ab42649affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before fe8713fb4e4e82a4f91910d9a41bf0613e69a0b9affected · git
    • ed9eccbe8970f6eedc1b978c157caf1251a896d4 and later · before 46d8c744136ce2454aa4c35c138cc06817f92b8eaffected · git
    • before 2.6.29not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.147-16.1.147-1
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-2025-38470Jul 28, 2025 · net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38472Jul 28, 2025 · netfilter: nf_conntrack: fix crash due to removal of uninitialised entry
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38489Jul 28, 2025 · s390/bpf: Fix bpf_arch_text_poke() with new_addr == NULL again
    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 Linux020eed5681d0f9bced73970368078a92d6cfaa9cVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux13e4d9038a1e869445a996a3f604a84ef52fe8f4Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux46d8c744136ce2454aa4c35c138cc06817f92b8eVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux673ee92bd2d31055bca98a1d96b653f5284289c4Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6f38c6380c3b38a05032b8881e41137385a6ce02Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxc42116dc70af6664526f7aa82cf937824ab42649Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxd3436638738ace8f101af7bdee2eae1bc38e9b29Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxfe8713fb4e4e82a4f91910d9a41bf0613e69a0b9Vendor (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.

  • CVE-2024-50302251 days apartHID: core: zero-initialize the report bufferKEV
    52Plan
  • CVE-2026-52989331 days apartnvmet-tcp: propagate nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec() errors to its callers
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2024-47685280 days apartnetfilter: nf_reject_ipv6: fix nf_reject_ip6_tcphdr_put()
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2026-53225332 days apartsctp: fix uninit-value in __sctp_rcv_asconf_lookup()
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2026-53170332 days apartaccel/ethosu: reject DMA commands with uninitialized length
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-43139282 days apartxfrm6: fix uninitialized saddr in xfrm6_get_saddr()
    34Monitor

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-908 · Use of Uninitialized Resource

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 (9 more)

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

All records