Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: clear the dst when...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: clear the dst when changing skb protocol
A not-so-careful NAT46 BPF program can crash the kernel
if it indiscriminately flips ingress packets from v4 to v6:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
ip6_rcv_core (net/ipv6/ip6_input.c:190:20)
ipv6_rcv (net/ipv6/ip6_input.c:306:8)
process_backlog (net/core/dev.c:6186:4)
napi_poll (net/core/dev.c:6906:9)
net_rx_action (net/core/dev.c:7028:13)
do_softirq (kernel/softirq.c:462:3)
netif_rx (net/core/dev.c:5326:3)
dev_loopback_xmit (net/core/dev.c:4015:2)
ip_mc_finish_output (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:363:8)
NF_HOOK (./include/linux/netfilter.h:314:9)
ip_mc_output (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:400:5)
dst_output (./include/net/dst.h:459:9)
ip_local_out (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:130:9)
ip_send_skb (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:1496:8)
udp_send_skb (net/ipv4/udp.c:1040:8)
udp_sendmsg (net/ipv4/udp.c:1328:10)
The output interface has a 4->6 program attached at ingress.
We try to loop the multicast skb back to the sending socket.
Ingress BPF runs as part of netif_rx(), pushes a valid v6 hdr
and changes skb->protocol to v6. We enter ip6_rcv_core which
tries to use skb_dst(). But the dst is still an IPv4 one left
after IPv4 mcast output.
Clear the dst in all BPF helpers which change the protocol.
Try to preserve metadata dsts, those may carry non-routing
metadata.
Impact
The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash. Typical impact: denial of service via crash.
CVE-2025-38192 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-2025-38192? CVE-2025-38192 is a medium-severity null pointer dereference vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38192? CVE-2025-38192 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-2025-38192? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38192 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38192 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38192 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-2025-38192 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.