Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2025-38175 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 4a7694f499cae5b83412c5281bf2c961f34f2ed6, 72a726fb5f25fbb31d6060acfb671c1955831245, 9857af0fcff385c75433f2162c30c62eb912ef6d 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 0.17% 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 4a7694f499cae5b83412c5281bf2c961f34f2ed6 or 72a726fb5f25fbb31d6060acfb671c1955831245 or 9857af0fcff385c75433f2162c30c62eb912ef6d, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.14.11 or 6.15.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 12d909cac1e1c4147cc3417fee804ee12fc6b984 up to, but not including, 4a7694f499cae5b83412c5281bf2c961f34f2ed6; 12d909cac1e1c4147cc3417fee804ee12fc6b984 up to, but not including, 72a726fb5f25fbb31d6060acfb671c1955831245; 12d909cac1e1c4147cc3417fee804ee12fc6b984 up to, but not including, 9857af0fcff385c75433f2162c30c62eb912ef6d; 6.14 | 4a7694f499cae5b83412c5281bf2c961f34f2ed6, 72a726fb5f25fbb31d6060acfb671c1955831245, 9857af0fcff385c75433f2162c30c62eb912ef6d |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.14 up to, but not including, 6.14.11; 6.15 up to, but not including, 6.15.2 | 6.14.11, 6.15.2 |
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: binder: fix yet another UAF in binder_devices Commit e77aff5528a18 ("binderfs: fix use-after-free in binder_devices") addressed a use-after-free where devices could be released without first being removed from the binder_devices list. However, there is a similar path in binder_free_proc() that was missed: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in binder_remove_device+0xd4/0x100 Write of size 8 at addr ffff0000c773b900 by task umount/467 CPU: 12 UID: 0 PID: 467 Comm: umount Not tainted 6.15.0-rc7-00138-g57483a362741 #9 PREEMPT Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) Call trace: binder_remove_device+0xd4/0x100 binderfs_evict_inode+0x230/0x2f0 evict+0x25c/0x5dc iput+0x304/0x480 dentry_unlink_inode+0x208/0x46c __dentry_kill+0x154/0x530 [...] Allocated by task 463: __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x13c/0x324 binderfs_binder_device_create.isra.0+0x138/0xa60 binder_ctl_ioctl+0x1ac/0x230 [...] Freed by task 215: kfree+0x184/0x31c binder_proc_dec_tmpref+0x33c/0x4ac binder_deferred_func+0xc10/0x1108 process_one_work+0x520/0xba4 [...] ================================================================== Call binder_remove_device() within binder_free_proc() to ensure the device is removed from the binder_devices list before being kfreed.
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.
- 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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