Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2025-38141
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 · uneditedIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm: fix dm_blk_report_zones If dm_get_live_table() returned NULL, dm_put_live_table() was never called. Also, it is possible that md->zone_revalidate_map will change while calling this function. Only read it once, so that we are always using the same value. Otherwise we might miss a call to dm_put_live_table(). Finally, while md->zone_revalidate_map is set and a process is calling blk_revalidate_disk_zones() to set up the zone append emulation resources, it is possible that another process, perhaps triggered by blkdev_report_zones_ioctl(), will call dm_blk_report_zones(). If blk_revalidate_disk_zones() fails, these resources can be freed while the other process is still using them, causing a use-after-free error. blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will only ever be called when initially setting up the zone append emulation resources, such as when setting up a zoned dm-crypt table for the first time. Further table swaps will not set md->zone_revalidate_map or call blk_revalidate_disk_zones(). However it must be called using the new table (referenced by md->zone_revalidate_map) and the new queue limits while the DM device is suspended. dm_blk_report_zones() needs some way to distinguish between a call from blk_revalidate_disk_zones(), which must be allowed to use md->zone_revalidate_map to access this not yet activated table, and all other calls to dm_blk_report_zones(), which should not be allowed while the device is suspended and cannot use md->zone_revalidate_map, since the zone resources might be freed by the process currently calling blk_revalidate_disk_zones(). Solve this by tracking the process that sets md->zone_revalidate_map in dm_revalidate_zones() and only allowing that process to make use of it in dm_blk_report_zones().
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 analysisMemory 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
>= 6.10, < 6.12.34>= 6.13, < 6.15.3CVSS 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 · scoped6.12.346.15.3
6.12.34+ or 6.15.3+ depending on current branch (6.12.x or 6.13-6.14.x)
- Identify the current running kernel version using `uname -r`
- If running kernel >= 6.10 and < 6.12.34, plan upgrade to kernel 6.12.34 or later in the 6.12.x stable series
- If running kernel >= 6.13 and < 6.15.3, plan upgrade to kernel 6.15.3 or later in the 6.15.x stable series
- For production systems, first test the new kernel in a staging environment before deploying
- After upgrade, verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version matches or exceeds the fixed releases above
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-38141 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-38141 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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