CVE-2025-38176
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-07-04
Last updated on: 2025-11-19
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 | 6.14 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.14 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.14 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-416 | The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel's binder filesystem, specifically in the binderfs_evict_inode() function. It occurs when concurrent deletions from binder_devices happen without proper synchronization, leading to a situation where memory that has already been freed is accessed again. This was detected using the KASAN (Kernel Address Sanitizer) tool during a stress test, which showed a slab-use-after-free error caused by improper handling of inode eviction in binderfs.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The use-after-free vulnerability can lead to memory corruption, which may cause system instability, crashes, or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. This can compromise the security and reliability of systems running vulnerable Linux kernel versions, especially under workloads that stress the binder filesystem.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by running the 'stress-ng' tool with the binderfs workload under a KASAN-enabled kernel. Specifically, running the command 'stress-ng --binderfs 16 --timeout 300' can trigger the use-after-free bug in binderfs_evict_inode(), which will be reported by KASAN.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves ensuring that your Linux kernel is updated to a version where this use-after-free vulnerability in binderfs_evict_inode() is fixed. Avoid running workloads that concurrently delete from binder_devices without proper synchronization, such as the 'stress-ng --binderfs' workload, until the fix is applied.