CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-38103NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Out-of-bounds Read

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-38103 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 7a6d6b68db128da2078ccd9a751dfa3f75c9cf5b, 41827a2dbdd7880df9881506dee13bc88d4230bb, 1df80d748f984290c895e843401824215dcfbfb0 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 0.23% 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 7a6d6b68db128da2078ccd9a751dfa3f75c9cf5b or 41827a2dbdd7880df9881506dee13bc88d4230bb or 1df80d748f984290c895e843401824215dcfbfb0 or a8f842534807985d3a676006d140541b87044345, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 3.3 or 3.17 or 3.19 or 4.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxf043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 7a6d6b68db128da2078ccd9a751dfa3f75c9cf5b; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 41827a2dbdd7880df9881506dee13bc88d4230bb; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 1df80d748f984290c895e843401824215dcfbfb0; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, a8f842534807985d3a676006d140541b87044345; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 4fa7831cf0ac71a0a345369d1a6084f2b096e55e; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 74388368927e9c52a69524af5bbd6c55eb4690de; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, 485e1b741eb838cbe1d6b0e81e5ab62ae6c095cf; f043bfc98c193c284e2cd768fefabe18ac2fed9b up to, but not including, fe7f7ac8e0c708446ff017453add769ffc15deed; and 15 more ranges7a6d6b68db128da2078ccd9a751dfa3f75c9cf5b, 41827a2dbdd7880df9881506dee13bc88d4230bb, 1df80d748f984290c895e843401824215dcfbfb0, a8f842534807985d3a676006d140541b87044345, 4fa7831cf0ac71a0a345369d1a6084f2b096e55e, 74388368927e9c52a69524af5bbd6c55eb4690de
LinuxLinux Kernel3.2.95 up to, but not including, 3.3; 3.16.50 up to, but not including, 3.17; 3.18.76 up to, but not including, 3.19; 4.1.46 up to, but not including, 4.2; 4.4.93 up to, but not including, 4.5; 4.9.57 up to, but not including, 4.10; 4.13.8 up to, but not including, 4.14; 4.14.1 up to, but not including, 5.4.295; and 7 more ranges3.3, 3.17, 3.19, 4.2, 4.5, 4.10
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: HID: usbhid: Eliminate recurrent out-of-bounds bug in usbhid_parse() Update struct hid_descriptor to better reflect the mandatory and optional parts of the HID Descriptor as per USB HID 1.11 specification. Note: the kernel currently does not parse any optional HID class descriptors, only the mandatory report descriptor. Update all references to member element desc[0] to rpt_desc. Add test to verify bLength and bNumDescriptors values are valid. Replace the for loop with direct access to the mandatory HID class descriptor member for the report descriptor. This eliminates the possibility of getting an out-of-bounds fault. Add a warning message if the HID descriptor contains any unsupported optional HID class descriptors.

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. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities

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