Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-38022

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.5 / 6.12.30 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/core: Fix "KASAN: slab-use-after-free Read in ib_register_device" problem Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x116/0x1f0 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:408 [inline] print_report+0xc3/0x670 mm/kasan/report.c:521 kasan_report+0xe0/0x110 mm/kasan/report.c:634 strlen+0x93/0xa0 lib/string.c:420 __fortify_strlen include/linux/fortify-string.h:268 [inline] get_kobj_path_length lib/kobject.c:118 [inline] kobject_get_path+0x3f/0x2a0 lib/kobject.c:158 kobject_uevent_env+0x289/0x1870 lib/kobject_uevent.c:545 ib_register_device drivers/infiniband/core/device.c:1472 [inline] ib_register_device+0x8cf/0xe00 drivers/infiniband/core/device.c:1393 rxe_register_device+0x275/0x320 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c:1552 rxe_net_add+0x8e/0xe0 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c:550 rxe_newlink+0x70/0x190 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe.c:225 nldev_newlink+0x3a3/0x680 drivers/infiniband/core/nldev.c:1796 rdma_nl_rcv_msg+0x387/0x6e0 drivers/infiniband/core/netlink.c:195 rdma_nl_rcv_skb.constprop.0.isra.0+0x2e5/0x450 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1313 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x53a/0x7f0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339 netlink_sendmsg+0x8d1/0xdd0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1883 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:712 [inline] __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:727 [inline] ____sys_sendmsg+0xa95/0xc70 net/socket.c:2566 ___sys_sendmsg+0x134/0x1d0 net/socket.c:2620 __sys_sendmsg+0x16d/0x220 net/socket.c:2652 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcd/0x260 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f This problem is similar to the problem that the commit 1d6a9e7449e2 ("RDMA/core: Fix use-after-free when rename device name") fixes. The root cause is: the function ib_device_rename() renames the name with lock. But in the function kobject_uevent(), this name is accessed without lock protection at the same time. The solution is to add the lock protection when this name is accessed in the function kobject_uevent().

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 5.4.86, < 5.5>= 5.10.4, < 6.12.30>= 6.13, < 6.14.8= 6.15

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.5 / 6.12.30 / 6.14.8 or later
Fixed in 5.56.12.306.14.8
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

6.14.8 or later (or 6.12.30 for 5.10-6.12 branch, 5.5 for 5.4 branch)

  1. Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. Determine which version branch your kernel belongs to (5.4.x, 5.10.x-6.12.x, 6.13.x-6.14.x, or 6.15)
  3. For kernels >= 5.4.86 and < 5.5: upgrade to kernel 5.5 or later
  4. For kernels >= 5.10.4 and < 6.12.30: upgrade to kernel 6.12.30 or later
  5. For kernels >= 6.13 and < 6.14.8: upgrade to kernel 6.14.8 or later
  6. For kernel 6.15: upgrade to kernel 6.14.8 or later (6.15.x fix pending)
  7. Reboot the system after applying the kernel update
  8. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version matches a patched release
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require driver compatibility verification; ensure RDMA/InfiniBand software stack supports the target kernel version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-38022 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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