Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2025-38555
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: usb: gadget : fix use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup() 1. In func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_os_desc_req_prepare(): if kmalloc fails, the pointer cdev->os_desc_req will be freed but not set to NULL. Then it will return a failure to the upper-level function. 2. in func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_dev_cleanup(): it will checks whether cdev->os_desc_req is NULL. If it is not NULL, it will attempt to use it.This will lead to a use-after-free issue. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0 Read of size 8 at addr 0000004827837a00 by task init/1 CPU: 10 PID: 1 Comm: init Tainted: G O 5.10.97-oh #1 kasan_report+0x188/0x1cc __asan_load8+0xb4/0xbc composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0 configfs_composite_bind+0x210/0x7ac udc_bind_to_driver+0xb4/0x1ec usb_gadget_probe_driver+0xec/0x21c gadget_dev_desc_UDC_store+0x264/0x27c
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
>= 3.16, < 5.4.297>= 5.5, < 5.10.241>= 5.11, < 5.15.190>= 5.16, < 6.1.148>= 6.2, < 6.6.102>= 6.7, < 6.12.42>= 6.13, < 6.15.10>= 6.16, < 6.16.1
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 11.0CVSS 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 · scoped5.4.2975.10.2415.15.190
Kernel version 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, or 6.1.148 (or later) depending on which branch you are on; Debian 11 users should consider upgrading to Debian 12 or applying available kernel security updates
- 1. Identify the currently running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
- 2. For systems running kernel < 5.4.297: upgrade to kernel version 5.4.297 or later
- 3. For systems running kernel >= 5.5 and < 5.10.241: upgrade to kernel version 5.10.241 or later
- 4. For systems running kernel >= 5.11 and < 5.15.190: upgrade to kernel version 5.15.190 or later
- 5. For systems running kernel >= 5.16 and < 6.1.148: upgrade to kernel version 6.1.148 or later
- 6. For Debian 11 (Bullseye) systems: check if a kernel security update is available via 'apt-get update && apt-get upgrade' or upgrade to Debian 12 which includes a fixed kernel
- 7. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
- 8. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version matches or exceeds the fixed release
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-2025-38555 — 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-2025-38555 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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