Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: jbd2: fix data-race and null...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
jbd2: fix data-race and null-ptr-deref in jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata()
Since handle->h_transaction may be a NULL pointer, so we should change it
to call is_handle_aborted(handle) first before dereferencing it.
And the following data-race was reported in my fuzzer:
==================================================================
BUG: KCSAN: data-race in jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata / jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata
write to 0xffff888011024104 of 4 bytes by task 10881 on cpu 1:
jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata+0x2a5/0x770 fs/jbd2/transaction.c:1556
__ext4_handle_dirty_metadata+0xe7/0x4b0 fs/ext4/ext4_jbd2.c:358
ext4_do_update_inode fs/ext4/inode.c:5220 [inline]
ext4_mark_iloc_dirty+0x32c/0xd50 fs/ext4/inode.c:5869
__ext4_mark_inode_dirty+0xe1/0x450 fs/ext4/inode.c:6074
ext4_dirty_inode+0x98/0xc0 fs/ext4/inode.c:6103
....
read to 0xffff888011024104 of 4 bytes by task 10880 on cpu 0:
jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata+0xf2/0x770 fs/jbd2/transaction.c:1512
__ext4_handle_dirty_metadata+0xe7/0x4b0 fs/ext4/ext4_jbd2.c:358
ext4_do_update_inode fs/ext4/inode.c:5220 [inline]
ext4_mark_iloc_dirty+0x32c/0xd50 fs/ext4/inode.c:5869
__ext4_mark_inode_dirty+0xe1/0x450 fs/ext4/inode.c:6074
ext4_dirty_inode+0x98/0xc0 fs/ext4/inode.c:6103
....
This issue is caused by missing data-race annotation for jh->b_modified.
Therefore, the missing annotation needs to be added.
Impact
The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash. Typical impact: denial of service via crash.
CVE-2025-38337 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-2025-38337? CVE-2025-38337 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-2025-38337? CVE-2025-38337 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-2025-38337? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38337 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38337 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38337 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-2025-38337 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.