Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: comedi: Fix initialization...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
comedi: Fix initialization of data for instructions that write to subdevice
Some Comedi subdevice instruction handlers are known to access
instruction data elements beyond the first insn->n elements in some
cases. The do_insn_ioctl() and do_insnlist_ioctl() functions
allocate at least MIN_SAMPLES (16) data elements to deal with this,
but they do not initialize all of that. For Comedi instruction codes
that write to the subdevice, the first insn->n data elements are
copied from user-space, but the remaining elements are left
uninitialized. That could be a problem if the subdevice instruction
handler reads the uninitialized data. Ensure that the firstMIN_SAMPLES elements are initialized before calling these instruction
handlers, filling the uncopied elements with 0. Fordo_insnlist_ioctl(), the same data buffer elements are used for
handling a list of instructions, so ensure the first MIN_SAMPLES
elements are initialized for each instruction that writes to the
subdevice.
Impact
CVE-2025-38478 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-2025-38478? CVE-2025-38478 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38478? CVE-2025-38478 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-2025-38478? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38478 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38478 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38478 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-2025-38478 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.