Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2025-38141 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 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 f9c1bdf24615303d48a2d0fd629c88f3189563aa, d19bc1b4dd5f322980b1f05f79b2ea4f0db10920, 37f53a2c60d03743e0eacf7a0c01c279776fef4e 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.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to f9c1bdf24615303d48a2d0fd629c88f3189563aa or d19bc1b4dd5f322980b1f05f79b2ea4f0db10920 or 37f53a2c60d03743e0eacf7a0c01c279776fef4e, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.34 or 6.15.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | f211268ed1f9bdf48f06a3ead5f5d88437450579 up to, but not including, f9c1bdf24615303d48a2d0fd629c88f3189563aa; f211268ed1f9bdf48f06a3ead5f5d88437450579 up to, but not including, d19bc1b4dd5f322980b1f05f79b2ea4f0db10920; f211268ed1f9bdf48f06a3ead5f5d88437450579 up to, but not including, 37f53a2c60d03743e0eacf7a0c01c279776fef4e; 6.10 | f9c1bdf24615303d48a2d0fd629c88f3189563aa, d19bc1b4dd5f322980b1f05f79b2ea4f0db10920, 37f53a2c60d03743e0eacf7a0c01c279776fef4e |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.10 up to, but not including, 6.12.34; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.15.3 | 6.12.34, 6.15.3 |
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
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- 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:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In 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().
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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