Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2025-38176 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 80ed8ab8efa0d18c03968a2321154f10e2d1a2e3, aea61a1a77613d4184d7ebe7c1d7cb606458b43b, 8c0a559825281764061a127632e5ad273f0466ad 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 80ed8ab8efa0d18c03968a2321154f10e2d1a2e3 or aea61a1a77613d4184d7ebe7c1d7cb606458b43b or 8c0a559825281764061a127632e5ad273f0466ad, 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 | e77aff5528a183462714f750e45add6cc71e276a up to, but not including, 80ed8ab8efa0d18c03968a2321154f10e2d1a2e3; e77aff5528a183462714f750e45add6cc71e276a up to, but not including, aea61a1a77613d4184d7ebe7c1d7cb606458b43b; e77aff5528a183462714f750e45add6cc71e276a up to, but not including, 8c0a559825281764061a127632e5ad273f0466ad; 6.14 | 80ed8ab8efa0d18c03968a2321154f10e2d1a2e3, aea61a1a77613d4184d7ebe7c1d7cb606458b43b, 8c0a559825281764061a127632e5ad273f0466ad |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.14.1 up to, but not including, 6.14.11; 6.15 up to, but not including, 6.15.2; 6.14 | 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 use-after-free in binderfs_evict_inode() Running 'stress-ng --binderfs 16 --timeout 300' under KASAN-enabled kernel, I've noticed the following: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 Write of size 8 at addr ffff88807379bc08 by task stress-ng-binde/1699 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1699 Comm: stress-ng-binde Not tainted 6.14.0-rc7-g586de92313fc-dirty #13 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-3.fc41 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x1c2/0x2a0 ? __pfx_dump_stack_lvl+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx__printk+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x18c/0x540 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x469/0x540 print_report+0x155/0x840 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x18c/0x540 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x469/0x540 ? __phys_addr+0xba/0x170 ? binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 kasan_report+0x147/0x180 ? binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 ? __pfx_binderfs_evict_inode+0x10/0x10 evict+0x524/0x9f0 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_evict+0x10/0x10 ? do_raw_spin_unlock+0x4d/0x210 ? _raw_spin_unlock+0x28/0x50 ? iput+0x697/0x9b0 __dentry_kill+0x209/0x660 ? shrink_kill+0x8d/0x2c0 shrink_kill+0xa9/0x2c0 shrink_dentry_list+0x2e0/0x5e0 shrink_dcache_parent+0xa2/0x2c0 ? __pfx_shrink_dcache_parent+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_do_raw_spin_lock+0x10/0x10 do_one_tree+0x23/0xe0 shrink_dcache_for_umount+0xa0/0x170 generic_shutdown_super+0x67/0x390 kill_litter_super+0x76/0xb0 binderfs_kill_super+0x44/0x90 deactivate_locked_super+0xb9/0x130 cleanup_mnt+0x422/0x4c0 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x9d/0x150 task_work_run+0x1d2/0x260 ? __pfx_task_work_run+0x10/0x10 resume_user_mode_work+0x52/0x60 syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x9a/0x120 do_syscall_64+0x103/0x210 ? asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x1a/0x20 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0xcac57b Code: c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 40 00 f3 0f 1e fa 31 f6 e9 05 00 00 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 f3 0f 1e fa b8 RSP: 002b:00007ffecf4226a8 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 00000000000000a6 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 00007ffecf422720 RCX: 0000000000cac57b RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 00007ffecf422850 RBP: 00007ffecf422850 R08: 0000000028d06ab1 R09: 7fffffffffffffff R10: 3fffffffffffffff R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 00007ffecf422718 R13: 00007ffecf422710 R14: 00007f478f87b658 R15: 00007ffecf422830 </TASK> Allocated by task 1705: kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 __kasan_kmalloc+0x8f/0xa0 __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x213/0x3e0 binderfs_binder_device_create+0x183/0xa80 binder_ctl_ioctl+0x138/0x190 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x120/0x1b0 do_syscall_64+0xf6/0x210 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 1705: kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 kasan_save_free_info+0x46/0x50 __kasan_slab_free+0x62/0x70 kfree+0x194/0x440 evict+0x524/0x9f0 do_unlinkat+0x390/0x5b0 __x64_sys_unlink+0x47/0x50 do_syscall_64+0xf6/0x210 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f This 'stress-ng' workload causes the concurrent deletions from 'binder_devices' and so requires full-featured synchronization to prevent list corruption. I've found this issue independently but pretty sure that syzbot did the same, so Reported-by: and Closes: should be applicable here as well.
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
Spotted an error? Tell us.