Linux: Out-of-bounds Read
CVE-2025-38616 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 ef50eaab631f9bf519ddbdfa42ccb0528adc1fc8, f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859, eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155 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 0.22% 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 ef50eaab631f9bf519ddbdfa42ccb0528adc1fc8 or f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859 or eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155 or db3658a12d5ec4db7185ae7476151a50521b7207, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.103 or 6.12.43 or 6.15.11 or 6.16.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, ef50eaab631f9bf519ddbdfa42ccb0528adc1fc8; 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859; 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155; 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, db3658a12d5ec4db7185ae7476151a50521b7207; 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, 2fb97ed9e2672b4f6e24ce206ac1a875ce4bcb38; 84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 up to, but not including, 6db015fc4b5d5f63a64a193f65d98da3a7fc811d; 6.0 | ef50eaab631f9bf519ddbdfa42ccb0528adc1fc8, f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859, eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155, db3658a12d5ec4db7185ae7476151a50521b7207, 2fb97ed9e2672b4f6e24ce206ac1a875ce4bcb38, 6db015fc4b5d5f63a64a193f65d98da3a7fc811d |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.0 up to, but not including, 6.6.103; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.43; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.15.11; 6.16 up to, but not including, 6.16.2; 6.17 | 6.6.103, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.2 |
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
- 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.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tls: handle data disappearing from under the TLS ULP TLS expects that it owns the receive queue of the TCP socket. This cannot be guaranteed in case the reader of the TCP socket entered before the TLS ULP was installed, or uses some non-standard read API (eg. zerocopy ones). Replace the WARN_ON() and a buggy early exit (which leaves anchor pointing to a freed skb) with real error handling. Wipe the parsing state and tell the reader to retry. We already reload the anchor every time we (re)acquire the socket lock, so the only condition we need to avoid is an out of bounds read (not having enough bytes in the socket for previously parsed record len). If some data was read from under TLS but there's enough in the queue we'll reload and decrypt what is most likely not a valid TLS record. Leading to some undefined behavior from TLS perspective (corrupting a stream? missing an alert? missing an attack?) but no kernel crash should take place.
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.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2fb97ed9e2672b4f6e24ce206ac1a875ce4bcb38
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6db015fc4b5d5f63a64a193f65d98da3a7fc811d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/db3658a12d5ec4db7185ae7476151a50521b7207
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859
Other references
Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
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