CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-38555NVD status: Modified

Linux: Use After Free

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-38555 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 dba96dfa5a0f685b959dd28a52ac8dab0b805204, 2db29235e900a084a656dea7e0939b0abb7bb897, 8afb22aa063f706f3343707cdfb8cda4d021dd33 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 dba96dfa5a0f685b959dd28a52ac8dab0b805204 or 2db29235e900a084a656dea7e0939b0abb7bb897 or 8afb22aa063f706f3343707cdfb8cda4d021dd33 or e624bf26127645a2f7821e73fdf6dc64bad07835, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.4.297 or 5.10.241 or 5.15.190 or 6.1.148, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, dba96dfa5a0f685b959dd28a52ac8dab0b805204; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, 2db29235e900a084a656dea7e0939b0abb7bb897; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, 8afb22aa063f706f3343707cdfb8cda4d021dd33; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, e624bf26127645a2f7821e73fdf6dc64bad07835; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, aada327a9f8028c573636fa60c0abc80fb8135c9; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, 5f06ee9f9a3665d43133f125c17e5258a13f3963; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, bd3c4ef60baf7f65c963f3e12d9d7b2b091e20ba; 37a3a533429ef9b3cc9f15a656c19623f0e88df7 up to, but not including, e1be1f380c82a69f80c68c96a7cfe8759fb30355; and 2 more rangesdba96dfa5a0f685b959dd28a52ac8dab0b805204, 2db29235e900a084a656dea7e0939b0abb7bb897, 8afb22aa063f706f3343707cdfb8cda4d021dd33, e624bf26127645a2f7821e73fdf6dc64bad07835, aada327a9f8028c573636fa60c0abc80fb8135c9, 5f06ee9f9a3665d43133f125c17e5258a13f3963
LinuxLinux Kernel3.16 up to, but not including, 5.4.297; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.241; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.190; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.148; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.102; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.42; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.15.10; 6.16 up to, but not including, 6.16.15.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.148, 6.6.102, 6.12.42
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
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 systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.8HighCNA
CVSS 3.17.8HighNVD

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: gadget : fix use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup() 1. In func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_os_desc_req_prepare(): if kmalloc fails, the pointer cdev->os_desc_req will be freed but not set to NULL. Then it will return a failure to the upper-level function. 2. in func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_dev_cleanup(): it will checks whether cdev->os_desc_req is NULL. If it is not NULL, it will attempt to use it.This will lead to a use-after-free issue. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0 Read of size 8 at addr 0000004827837a00 by task init/1 CPU: 10 PID: 1 Comm: init Tainted: G O 5.10.97-oh #1 kasan_report+0x188/0x1cc __asan_load8+0xb4/0xbc composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0 configfs_composite_bind+0x210/0x7ac udc_bind_to_driver+0xb4/0x1ec usb_gadget_probe_driver+0xec/0x21c gadget_dev_desc_UDC_store+0x264/0x27c

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.

More Use After Free vulnerabilities (CWE-416)

Timeline

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

References

Third-party and government advisories

Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities

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