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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38542: net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()

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 473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7, 4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46, 64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.200.1-1.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7, 4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46, 64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.200.1-1 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: net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create() When updating an existing route entry in atrtr_create(), the old device reference was not being released before assigning the new device, leading to a device refcount leak. Fix this by calling dev_put() to release the old device reference before holding the new one.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 8th percentile
CWE
—

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%

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-2025-38542

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 5.10.240
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.189
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.146
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.99
  • linux linux kernel2.6.13 and later · before 5.4.296
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.7
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.39
  • linux linux kernel2.6.12
  • 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

    • 2.6.12affected
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119affected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afdaffected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90affected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4affected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before 4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46affected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before 473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7affected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before 64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8baffected · git
    • c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d and later · before 711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750affected · git
    • before 2.6.12not 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-2025-38538Aug 16, 2025 · dmaengine: nbpfaxi: Fix memory corruption in probe()
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38541Aug 16, 2025 · wifi: mt76: mt7925: Fix null-ptr-deref in mt7925_thermal_init()
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38545Aug 16, 2025 · net: ethernet: ti: am65-cpsw-nuss: Fix skb size by accounting for skb_shared_info
    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 Linux473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8bVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxa7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afdVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxd2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.104.2-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.05.15.200.1-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
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.

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

  1. 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