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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-38153

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.295 / 5.10.239 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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: net: usb: aqc111: fix error handling of usbnet read calls Syzkaller, courtesy of syzbot, identified an error (see report [1]) in aqc111 driver, caused by incomplete sanitation of usb read calls' results. This problem is quite similar to the one fixed in commit 920a9fa27e78 ("net: asix: add proper error handling of usb read errors"). For instance, usbnet_read_cmd() may read fewer than 'size' bytes, even if the caller expected the full amount, and aqc111_read_cmd() will not check its result properly. As [1] shows, this may lead to MAC address in aqc111_bind() being only partly initialized, triggering KMSAN warnings. Fix the issue by verifying that the number of bytes read is as expected and not less. [1] Partial syzbot report: BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in is_valid_ether_addr include/linux/etherdevice.h:208 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in usbnet_probe+0x2e57/0x4390 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1830 is_valid_ether_addr include/linux/etherdevice.h:208 [inline] usbnet_probe+0x2e57/0x4390 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1830 usb_probe_interface+0xd01/0x1310 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:396 call_driver_probe drivers/base/dd.c:-1 [inline] really_probe+0x4d1/0xd90 drivers/base/dd.c:658 __driver_probe_device+0x268/0x380 drivers/base/dd.c:800 ... Uninit was stored to memory at: dev_addr_mod+0xb0/0x550 net/core/dev_addr_lists.c:582 __dev_addr_set include/linux/netdevice.h:4874 [inline] eth_hw_addr_set include/linux/etherdevice.h:325 [inline] aqc111_bind+0x35f/0x1150 drivers/net/usb/aqc111.c:717 usbnet_probe+0xbe6/0x4390 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1772 usb_probe_interface+0xd01/0x1310 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:396 ... Uninit was stored to memory at: ether_addr_copy include/linux/etherdevice.h:305 [inline] aqc111_read_perm_mac drivers/net/usb/aqc111.c:663 [inline] aqc111_bind+0x794/0x1150 drivers/net/usb/aqc111.c:713 usbnet_probe+0xbe6/0x4390 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1772 usb_probe_interface+0xd01/0x1310 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:396 call_driver_probe drivers/base/dd.c:-1 [inline] ... Local variable buf.i created at: aqc111_read_perm_mac drivers/net/usb/aqc111.c:656 [inline] aqc111_bind+0x221/0x1150 drivers/net/usb/aqc111.c:713 usbnet_probe+0xbe6/0x4390 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1772

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-125

The code reads past the end (or before the start) of a buffer, returning memory that was never meant to be exposed. Attackers use it to leak secrets like keys or to defeat memory-protection defences. Remediation is validating indices and lengths before every read.

General guidance for the out-of-bounds read 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:>= 5.0, < 5.4.295>= 5.5, < 5.10.239>= 5.11, < 5.15.186>= 5.16, < 6.1.142>= 6.2, < 6.6.94>= 6.7, < 6.12.34>= 6.13, < 6.15.3
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 11.0

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
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 5.4.295 / 5.10.239 / 5.15.186 or later
Fixed in 5.4.2955.10.2395.15.186
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 5.4.295+ / 5.10.239+ / 5.15.186+ / 6.1.142+ (or Debian 11 kernel from later point releases)

  1. Identify the currently running kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. Determine which kernel version series is in use (5.4.x, 5.10.x, 5.15.x, or 6.1.x)
  3. For Debian 11 systems: Update package lists with 'apt update' and upgrade the kernel package with 'apt upgrade linux-image-amd64'
  4. For manual kernel upgrades: Download and install a fixed kernel version: 5.4.295+, 5.10.239+, 5.15.186+, or 6.1.142+
  5. Reboot the system into the updated kernel using 'reboot'
  6. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version: 'uname -r' should show a version >= the appropriate fixed version
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with out-of-tree kernel modules or proprietary drivers; ensure backup and test in staging environment first

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

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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-2025-38153 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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