CVE-2025-38500
Linux Kernel xfrm Interface Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Description
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] <TASK> [ 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] </TASK>
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 12, 2025, 4:15 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 15, 2025, 4:15 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github
CVE-2025-38500 has a 1 public
PoC/Exploit available at Github.
Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.
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-2025-38500.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-38500 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-2025-38500
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).
DSA and DLA for Debian last 14 days
Python
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2025-38500 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2025-38500 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.
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CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 15, 2025
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8d4748b954584ab7bd800f1a4e46d5b0eeb5ce4 -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 12, 2025
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description 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] <TASK> [ 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] </TASK> Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5918c3f4800a3aef2173865e5903370f21e24f47 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/69a31f7a6a81f5ffd3812c442e09ff0be22960f1 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a90b2a1aaacbcf0f91d7e4868ad6c51c5dee814b Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bfebdb85496e1da21d3cf05de099210915c3e706