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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38675: xfrm: state: initialize state_ptrs earlier in xfrm_state_find

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: 0.12% (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 463562f9591742be62ddde3b426a0533ed496955, 6.12.41, 6.14; azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.159.1-1.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 4.7.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 463562f9591742be62ddde3b426a0533ed496955, 6.12.41, 6.14; azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.159.1-1 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: xfrm: state: initialize state_ptrs earlier in xfrm_state_find In case of preemption, xfrm_state_look_at will find a different pcpu_id and look up states for that other CPU. If we matched a state for CPU2 in the state_cache while the lookup started on CPU1, we will jump to "found", but the "best" state that we got will be ignored and we will enter the "acquire" block. This block uses state_ptrs, which isn't initialized at this point. Let's initialize state_ptrs just after taking rcu_read_lock. This will also prevent a possible misuse in the future, if someone adjusts this function.

MediumCVSS 4.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 22, 2025
Updated
Oct 30, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 2th 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%

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

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

Follow CVE-2025-38675

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 kernel6.12.13 and later · before 6.12.41
  • linux linux kernel6.13.2 and later · before 6.15.9
  • 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

    • 80610185e9dd2ef7c0a4818a47390a8655b3dc27, b86dc510308d7a8955f3f47a4fea4bef887653e4, dd4c2a174994238d55ab54da2545543d36f4e0d0, 6.14affected
    • a16871c7832ea6435abb6e0b58289ae7dcb7e4fc and later · before 6bf2daafc51bcb9272c0fdff2afd38217337d0d3affected · git
    • e952837f3ddb0ff726d5b582aa1aad9aa38d024d and later · before 463562f9591742be62ddde3b426a0533ed496955affected · git
    • e952837f3ddb0ff726d5b582aa1aad9aa38d024d and later · before 94d077c331730510d5611b438640a292097341f0affected · git
    • 6.12.13 and later · before 6.12.41affected · semver
    • 6.1.191 and later · before 6.2affected · semver
    • 6.6.120 and later · before 6.7affected · semver
    • 6.13.2 and later · before 6.14affected · semver
    • before 6.14not affected · semver
    • 6.12.41 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver

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-2025-38673Aug 22, 2025 · Revert "drm/gem-framebuffer: Use dma_buf from GEM object instance"
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38674Aug 22, 2025 · Revert "drm/prime: Use dma_buf from GEM object instance"
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38676Aug 26, 2025 · iommu/amd: Avoid stack buffer overflow from kernel cmdline
    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 Linux463562f9591742be62ddde3b426a0533ed496955Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.12.41Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.14Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.2Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.7Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6bf2daafc51bcb9272c0fdff2afd38217337d0d3Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux94d077c331730510d5611b438640a292097341f0Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.150.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0—Microsoft (MSRC)
azl3 kernel 6.6.152.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)
azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.159.1-1 · Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)
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. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Show all references (2 more)

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

All records