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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38500: xfrm: interface: fix use-after-free after changing collect_md xfrm interface

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • 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 5918c3f4800a3aef2173865e5903370f21e24f47, 69a31f7a6a81f5ffd3812c442e09ff0be22960f1, a8d4748b954584ab7bd800f1a4e46d5b0eeb5ce4; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 5918c3f4800a3aef2173865e5903370f21e24f47, 69a31f7a6a81f5ffd3812c442e09ff0be22960f1, a8d4748b954584ab7bd800f1a4e46d5b0eeb5ce4; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1 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: xfrm: interface: fix use-after-free after changing collect_md xfrm interface collect_md property on xfrm interfaces can only be set on device creation, thus xfrmi_changelink() should fail when called on such interfaces. The check to enforce this was done only in the case where the xi was returned from xfrmi_locate() which doesn't look for the collect_md interface, and thus the validation was never reached. Calling changelink would thus errornously place the special interface xi in the xfrmi_net->xfrmi hash, but since it also exists in the xfrmi_net->collect_md_xfrmi pointer it would lead to a double free when the net namespace was taken down [1]. Change the check to use the xi from netdev_priv which is available earlier in the function to prevent changes in xfrm collect_md interfaces. [1] resulting oops: [ 8.516540] kernel BUG at net/core/dev.c:12029! [ 8.516552] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI [ 8.516559] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 12 Comm: kworker/u80:0 Not tainted 6.15.0-virtme #5 PREEMPT(voluntary) [ 8.516565] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 [ 8.516569] Workqueue: netns cleanup_net [ 8.516579] RIP: 0010:unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x101/0xab0 [ 8.516590] Code: 90 0f 0b 90 48 8b b0 78 01 00 00 48 8b 90 80 01 00 00 48 89 56 08 48 89 32 4c 89 80 78 01 00 00 48 89 b8 80 01 00 00 eb ac 90 <0f> 0b 48 8b 45 00 4c 8d a0 88 fe ff ff 48 39 c5 74 5c 41 80 bc 24 [ 8.516593] RSP: 0018:ffffa93b8006bd30 EFLAGS: 00010206 [ 8.516598] RAX: ffff98fe4226e000 RBX: ffffa93b8006bd58 RCX: ffffa93b8006bc60 [ 8.516601] RDX: 0000000000000004 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: dead000000000122 [ 8.516603] RBP: ffffa93b8006bdd8 R08: dead000000000100 R09: ffff98fe4133c100 [ 8.516605] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 00000000000003d2 R12: ffffa93b8006be00 [ 8.516608] R13: ffffffff96c1a510 R14: ffffffff96c1a510 R15: ffffa93b8006be00 [ 8.516615] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff98fee73b7000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 8.516619] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 8.516622] CR2: 00007fcd2abd0700 CR3: 000000003aa40000 CR4: 0000000000752ef0 [ 8.516625] PKRU: 55555554 [ 8.516627] Call Trace: [ 8.516632] <TASK> [ 8.516635] ? rtnl_is_locked+0x15/0x20 [ 8.516641] ? unregister_netdevice_queue+0x29/0xf0 [ 8.516650] ops_undo_list+0x1f2/0x220 [ 8.516659] cleanup_net+0x1ad/0x2e0 [ 8.516664] process_one_work+0x160/0x380 [ 8.516673] worker_thread+0x2aa/0x3c0 [ 8.516679] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 8.516686] kthread+0xfb/0x200 [ 8.516690] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 8.516693] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 8.516697] ret_from_fork+0x82/0xf0 [ 8.516705] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 8.516709] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [ 8.516718] </TASK>

Published
Aug 12, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 7th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 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
7.8
CNA · Linux
7.8
agree

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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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

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
    • abc340b38ba25cd6c7aa2c0bd9150d30738c82d0 and later · before a8d4748b954584ab7bd800f1a4e46d5b0eeb5ce4affected · git
    • abc340b38ba25cd6c7aa2c0bd9150d30738c82d0 and later · before bfebdb85496e1da21d3cf05de099210915c3e706affected · git
    • abc340b38ba25cd6c7aa2c0bd9150d30738c82d0 and later · before 5918c3f4800a3aef2173865e5903370f21e24f47affected · git
    • abc340b38ba25cd6c7aa2c0bd9150d30738c82d0 and later · before 69a31f7a6a81f5ffd3812c442e09ff0be22960f1affected · git
    • abc340b38ba25cd6c7aa2c0bd9150d30738c82d0 and later · before a90b2a1aaacbcf0f91d7e4868ad6c51c5dee814baffected · git
    • before 6.1not affected · semver
    • 6.1.148 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
    • 6.6.101 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
    • 6.12.41 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
Affected versions · NVD (6)

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 6.1.148
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.101
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.41
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.9
  • linux linux kernel6.16

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:10kernel-abi-stablelistsbefore 6.12.0-55.33.1.el10_06.12.0-55.33.1.el10_0
AlmaLinux:10kernel-docbefore 6.12.0-55.33.1.el10_06.12.0-55.33.1.el10_0
AlmaLinux:9kernelbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64kbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debugbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-develbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-devel-matchedbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-modulesbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-modules-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-debug-modules-extrabefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-develbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-devel-matchedbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-modulesbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-modules-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-64k-modules-extrabefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-abi-stablelistsbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-cross-headersbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-debugbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-debug-corebefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-debug-develbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6
AlmaLinux:9kernel-debug-devel-matchedbefore 5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_65.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6

+96

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
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  • 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-2024-58238Aug 9, 2025 · Bluetooth: btnxpuart: Resolve TX timeout error in power save stress test
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38499Aug 11, 2025 · clone_private_mnt(): make sure that caller has CAP_SYS_ADMIN in the right userns
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38501Aug 16, 2025 · ksmbd: limit repeated connections from clients with the same IP
    31Monitor

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 Linux5918c3f4800a3aef2173865e5903370f21e24f47Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux69a31f7a6a81f5ffd3812c442e09ff0be22960f1Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxa8d4748b954584ab7bd800f1a4e46d5b0eeb5ce4Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxa90b2a1aaacbcf0f91d7e4868ad6c51c5dee814bVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxbfebdb85496e1da21d3cf05de099210915c3e706Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.104.2-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
almalinux:kernel5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-core5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-core5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-devel5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-modules5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-modules-core5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-debug-modules-extra5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-devel5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:kernel-64k-devel-matched5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux6.1.148-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-debuginfo0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-devel0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-debuginfo0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-devel0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-64k-devel-matched0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-debuginfo0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-devel0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-devel-matched0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo0:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch640:5.14.0-570.39.1.el9_6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)

+14

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.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-416 · Use After Free

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Root cause

After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-416 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

c
free(dev->buf);/* ... another thread is still running ... */process(dev->buf);

Fixed

c
lock(&dev->lock);free(dev->buf);dev->buf = NULL;unlock(&dev->lock);

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.

References

Show all references (5 more)

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

All records