Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/osnoise: Fix crash...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing/osnoise: Fix crash in timerlat_dump_stack()
We have observed kernel panics when using timerlat with stack saving,
with the following dmesg output:
memcpy: detected buffer overflow: 88 byte write of buffer size 0
WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 8153 at lib/string_helpers.c:1032 __fortify_report+0x55/0xa0
CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 8153 Comm: timerlatu/2 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.15.3-200.fc42.x86_64 #1 PREEMPT(lazy)
Call Trace:
? trace_buffer_lock_reserve+0x2a/0x60
__fortify_panic+0xd/0xf
__timerlat_dump_stack.cold+0xd/0xd
timerlat_dump_stack.part.0+0x47/0x80
timerlat_fd_read+0x36d/0x390
vfs_read+0xe2/0x390
? syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x1d5/0x210
ksys_read+0x73/0xe0
do_syscall_64+0x7b/0x160
? exc_page_fault+0x7e/0x1a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
__timerlat_dump_stack() constructs the ftrace stack entry like this:
struct stack_entry *entry;
...
memcpy(&entry->caller, fstack->calls, size);
entry->size = fstack->nr_entries;
Since commit e7186af7fb26 ("tracing: Add back FORTIFY_SOURCE logic to
kernel_stack event structure"), struct stack_entry marks its caller
field with __counted_by(size). At the time of the memcpy, entry->size
contains garbage from the ringbuffer, which under some circumstances is
zero, triggering a kernel panic by buffer overflow.
Populate the size field before the memcpy so that the out-of-bounds
check knows the correct size. This is analogous to
__ftrace_trace_stack().
Impact
CVE-2025-38493 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-38493? CVE-2025-38493 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38493? CVE-2025-38493 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-2025-38493? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38493 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38493 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38493 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-2025-38493 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.