CVE-2025-38122
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-07-03
Last updated on: 2025-12-17
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.14 (inc) to 5.15.186 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.142 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.94 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.34 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.15.3 (exc) |
| debian | debian_linux | 11.0 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-476 | The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a missing NULL pointer check in the Linux kernel's gve driver. Specifically, the function gve_alloc_pending_packet() can return NULL if memory allocation fails, but the function gve_tx_add_skb_dqo() did not check for this before using the returned pointer. This could lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing potential crashes or instability. The fix adds the missing NULL check to improve robustness, especially in low-memory situations.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
If this vulnerability is triggered, it can cause the Linux kernel to dereference a NULL pointer, potentially leading to system crashes or instability. This can affect system reliability and availability, especially under low-memory conditions.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Apply the latest Linux kernel update that includes the fix for the gve driver by adding the missing NULL check in gve_alloc_pending_packet() to prevent NULL pointer dereference. This update improves robustness in low-memory scenarios and mitigates the vulnerability.