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5.5
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2025-38282
kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active() as found out by Chen Ridong: kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1 __kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002 kernfs_drain ... wait_event //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfs_break_active_protection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfs_unbreak_active_protection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfs_should_drain_open_files // warning occurs kernfs_put_active To avoid the false positives (mind panic_on_warn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)

INFO

Published Date :

July 10, 2025, 8:15 a.m.

Last Modified :

Dec. 18, 2025, 4:50 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2025-38282 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
1 Debian debian_linux
: Total Affected Vendor : 2 | Products : 2
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update the Linux kernel to resolve a sensitive check in kernfs.
  • Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version.
  • Apply the specific patch for the kernfs issue.
  • Reboot the system after updating.
  • Verify the system stability.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2025-38282.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63 Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Third Party Advisory Mailing List
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-38282 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-2025-38282 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2025-38282 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2025-38282 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Dec. 18, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CWE NVD-CWE-noinfo
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.13 up to (excluding) 6.15.3 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.7 up to (excluding) 6.12.34 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.2 up to (excluding) 6.6.94 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.1 up to (excluding) 6.1.142
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type CVE: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Types: Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
  • CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108

    Nov. 03, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Jul. 10, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active() as found out by Chen Ridong: kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1 __kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002 kernfs_drain ... wait_event //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfs_break_active_protection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfs_unbreak_active_protection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfs_should_drain_open_files // warning occurs kernfs_put_active To avoid the false positives (mind panic_on_warn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 5.5
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact