CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-38088NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Out-of-bounds Read

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-38088 is a high-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 81260c41b518b6f32c701425f1427562fa92f293, 620b77b23c41a6546e5548ffe2ea3ad71880dde4, 8635e325b85dfb9ddebdfaa6b5605d40d16cd147 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.2% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to 81260c41b518b6f32c701425f1427562fa92f293 or 620b77b23c41a6546e5548ffe2ea3ad71880dde4 or 8635e325b85dfb9ddebdfaa6b5605d40d16cd147 or 9c340b56d60545e4a159e41523dd8b23f81d3261, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.186 or 6.1.142 or 6.6.94 or 6.12.34, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, 81260c41b518b6f32c701425f1427562fa92f293; 08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, 620b77b23c41a6546e5548ffe2ea3ad71880dde4; 08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, 8635e325b85dfb9ddebdfaa6b5605d40d16cd147; 08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, 9c340b56d60545e4a159e41523dd8b23f81d3261; 08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, bbd5a9ddb0f9750783a48a871c9e12c0b68c5f39; 08a022ad3dfafc7e33d4529015e14bb75179cacc up to, but not including, cd097df4596f3a1e9d75eb8520162de1eb8485b2; 5.1381260c41b518b6f32c701425f1427562fa92f293, 620b77b23c41a6546e5548ffe2ea3ad71880dde4, 8635e325b85dfb9ddebdfaa6b5605d40d16cd147, 9c340b56d60545e4a159e41523dd8b23f81d3261, bbd5a9ddb0f9750783a48a871c9e12c0b68c5f39, cd097df4596f3a1e9d75eb8520162de1eb8485b2
LinuxLinux Kernel5.13 up to, but not including, 5.15.186; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.142; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.94; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.34; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.15.3; 6.165.15.186, 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3
DebianDebian Linux11.0Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/powernv/memtrace: Fix out of bounds issue in memtrace mmap memtrace mmap issue has an out of bounds issue. This patch fixes the by checking that the requested mapping region size should stay within the allocated region size.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Read

The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.

More Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities (CWE-125)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.