Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/Kconfig: make...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
x86/Kconfig: make CFI_AUTO_DEFAULT depend on !RUST or Rust >= 1.88
Calling core::fmt::write() from rust code while FineIBT is enabled
results in a kernel panic:
[ 4614.199779] kernel BUG at arch/x86/kernel/cet.c:132!
[ 4614.205343] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
[ 4614.211781] CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 6057 Comm: dmabuf_dump Tainted: G U O 6.12.17-android16-0-g6ab38c534a43 #1 9da040f27673ec3945e23b998a0f8bd64c846599
[ 4614.227832] Tainted: [U]=USER, [O]=OOT_MODULE
[ 4614.241247] RIP: 0010:do_kernel_cp_fault+0xea/0xf0
...
[ 4614.398144] RIP: 0010:_RNvXs5_NtNtNtCs3o2tGsuHyou_4core3fmt3num3impyNtB9_7Display3fmt+0x0/0x20
[ 4614.407792] Code: 48 f7 df 48 0f 48 f9 48 89 f2 89 c6 5d e9 18 fd ff ff 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 f3 0f 1e fa 41 81 ea 14 61 af 2c 74 03 0f 0b 90 <66> 0f 1f 00 55 48 89 e5 48 89 f2 48 8b 3f be 01 00 00 00 5d e9 e7
[ 4614.428775] RSP: 0018:ffffb95acfa4ba68 EFLAGS: 00010246
[ 4614.434609] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000010 RCX: 0000000000000000
[ 4614.442587] RDX: 0000000000000007 RSI: ffffb95acfa4ba70 RDI: ffffb95acfa4bc88
[ 4614.450557] RBP: ffffb95acfa4bae0 R08: ffff0a00ffffff05 R09: 0000000000000070
[ 4614.458527] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: ffffffffab67eaf0 R12: ffffb95acfa4bcc8
[ 4614.466493] R13: ffffffffac5d50f0 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 0000000000000000
[ 4614.474473] ? __cfi__RNvXs5_NtNtNtCs3o2tGsuHyou_4core3fmt3num3impyNtB9_7Display3fmt+0x10/0x10
[ 4614.484118] ? _RNvNtCs3o2tGsuHyou_4core3fmt5write+0x1d2/0x250
This happens because core::fmt::write() calls
core::fmt::rt::Argument::fmt(), which currently has CFI disabled:
library/core/src/fmt/rt.rs:
171 // FIXME: Transmuting formatter in new and indirectly branching to/calling
172 // it here is an explicit CFI violation.
173 #[allow(inline_no_sanitize)]
174 #[no_sanitize(cfi, kcfi)]
175 #[inline]
176 pub(super) unsafe fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result {
This causes a Control Protection exception, because FineIBT has sealed
off the original function's endbr64.
This makes rust currently incompatible with FineIBT. Add a Kconfig
dependency that prevents FineIBT from getting turned on by default
if rust is enabled.
[ Rust 1.88.0 (scheduled for 2025-06-26) should have this fixed [1],
and thus we relaxed the condition with Rust >= 1.88.
When objtool lands checking for this with e.g. [2], the plan is
to ideally run that in upstream Rust's CI to prevent regressions
early [3], since we do not control core's source code.
Alice tested the Rust PR backported to an older compiler.
Peter would like that Rust provides a stable core which can be
pulled into the kernel: "Relying on that much out of tree code is
'unfortunate'".
- Miguel ]
[ Reduced splat. - Miguel ]
Impact
CVE-2025-38033 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-38033? CVE-2025-38033 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38033? CVE-2025-38033 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-38033? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38033 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38033 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38033 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-38033 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.