Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: interface: fix use...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
xfrm: interface: fix use-after-free after changing collect_md xfrm interface
collect_md property on xfrm interfaces can only be set on device creation,
thus xfrmi_changelink() should fail when called on such interfaces.
The check to enforce this was done only in the case where the xi was
returned from xfrmi_locate() which doesn't look for the collect_md
interface, and thus the validation was never reached.
Calling changelink would thus errornously place the special interface xi
in the xfrmi_net->xfrmi hash, but since it also exists in the
xfrmi_net->collect_md_xfrmi pointer it would lead to a double free when
the net namespace was taken down [1].
Change the check to use the xi from netdev_priv which is available earlier
in the function to prevent changes in xfrm collect_md interfaces.
[1] resulting oops:
[ 8.516540] kernel BUG at net/core/dev.c:12029!
[ 8.516552] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
[ 8.516559] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 12 Comm: kworker/u80:0 Not tainted 6.15.0-virtme #5 PREEMPT(voluntary)
[ 8.516565] Hardware name: QEMU Ubuntu 24.04 PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
[ 8.516569] Workqueue: netns cleanup_net
[ 8.516579] RIP: 0010:unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x101/0xab0
[ 8.516590] Code: 90 0f 0b 90 48 8b b0 78 01 00 00 48 8b 90 80 01 00 00 48 89 56 08 48 89 32 4c 89 80 78 01 00 00 48 89 b8 80 01 00 00 eb ac 90 <0f> 0b 48 8b 45 00 4c 8d a0 88 fe ff ff 48 39 c5 74 5c 41 80 bc 24
[ 8.516593] RSP: 0018:ffffa93b8006bd30 EFLAGS: 00010206
[ 8.516598] RAX: ffff98fe4226e000 RBX: ffffa93b8006bd58 RCX: ffffa93b8006bc60
[ 8.516601] RDX: 0000000000000004 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: dead000000000122
[ 8.516603] RBP: ffffa93b8006bdd8 R08: dead000000000100 R09: ffff98fe4133c100
[ 8.516605] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 00000000000003d2 R12: ffffa93b8006be00
[ 8.516608] R13: ffffffff96c1a510 R14: ffffffff96c1a510 R15: ffffa93b8006be00
[ 8.516615] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff98fee73b7000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[ 8.516619] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[ 8.516622] CR2: 00007fcd2abd0700 CR3: 000000003aa40000 CR4: 0000000000752ef0
[ 8.516625] PKRU: 55555554
[ 8.516627] Call Trace:
[ 8.516632]
[ 8.516635] ? rtnl_is_locked+0x15/0x20
[ 8.516641] ? unregister_netdevice_queue+0x29/0xf0
[ 8.516650] ops_undo_list+0x1f2/0x220
[ 8.516659] cleanup_net+0x1ad/0x2e0
[ 8.516664] process_one_work+0x160/0x380
[ 8.516673] worker_thread+0x2aa/0x3c0
[ 8.516679] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10
[ 8.516686] kthread+0xfb/0x200
[ 8.516690] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[ 8.516693] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[ 8.516697] ret_from_fork+0x82/0xf0
[ 8.516705] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[ 8.516709] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
[ 8.516718]
Impact
Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or potential code execution.
CVE-2025-38500 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). 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-2025-38500? CVE-2025-38500 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38500? CVE-2025-38500 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). 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-2025-38500? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-38500 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-38500 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-38500 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-2025-38500 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.