CVE-2025-37938
Linux Kernel Tracing Vulnerability (Format String)
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Verify event formats that have "%*p.." The trace event verifier checks the formats of trace events to make sure that they do not point at memory that is not in the trace event itself or in data that will never be freed. If an event references data that was allocated when the event triggered and that same data is freed before the event is read, then the kernel can crash by reading freed memory. The verifier runs at boot up (or module load) and scans the print formats of the events and checks their arguments to make sure that dereferenced pointers are safe. If the format uses "%*p.." the verifier will ignore it, and that could be dangerous. Cover this case as well. Also add to the sample code a use case of "%*pbl".
INFO
Published Date :
May 20, 2025, 4:15 p.m.
Last Modified :
May 21, 2025, 8:25 p.m.
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Remotely Exploitable :
No
Impact Score :
Exploitability Score :
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
May. 20, 2025
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Verify event formats that have "%*p.." The trace event verifier checks the formats of trace events to make sure that they do not point at memory that is not in the trace event itself or in data that will never be freed. If an event references data that was allocated when the event triggered and that same data is freed before the event is read, then the kernel can crash by reading freed memory. The verifier runs at boot up (or module load) and scans the print formats of the events and checks their arguments to make sure that dereferenced pointers are safe. If the format uses "%*p.." the verifier will ignore it, and that could be dangerous. Cover this case as well. Also add to the sample code a use case of "%*pbl". Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03127354027508d076073b020d3070990fd6a958 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04b80d45ecfaf780981d6582899e3ab205e4aa08 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4d11fac941d83509be4e6a21038281d6d96da50c Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6854c87ac823181c810f8c07489ba543260c0023 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c7204fd1758c0caf1938e8a59809a1fdf28a8114 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea8d7647f9ddf1f81e2027ed305299797299aa03
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-37938 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-37938
weaknesses.