CVE-2025-38392
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-07-25
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 | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.16 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.16 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.16 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.16 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-NVD-CWE-noinfo |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability involves the Linux kernel's idpf driver where a control queue mutex was used incorrectly, causing a sleeping function to be called from an invalid context, leading to a kernel warning and potential instability. The issue occurs when VIRTCHNL2_CAP_MACFILTER is enabled, triggering a sequence of function calls that eventually lock a mutex in a context where sleeping is not allowed. The fix was to convert the control queue mutex to a spinlock to ensure safe locking behavior, and to handle DMA memory freeing safely by requesting contiguous physical memory.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause kernel warnings and potentially lead to system instability or crashes when the affected driver is loaded with the MAC filter capability enabled. It may affect network functionality managed by NetworkManager and could disrupt normal operation of network devices using the idpf driver.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by checking for the specific kernel warning messages generated on module load, which include a BUG related to a sleeping function called from invalid context in the idpf driver. You can look for these messages in the kernel log using the command: dmesg | grep -i 'BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context' or dmesg | grep -i idpf. Additionally, monitoring for the presence of the warning involving rtnl_mutex and NetworkManager in the logs can help identify the issue.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability immediately, update the Linux kernel to a version where the idpf driver has been fixed by converting the control queue mutex to a spinlock. This fix prevents the invalid context sleeping function call. Until the update is applied, avoid enabling VIRTCHNL2_CAP_MACFILTER or using affected features that trigger the problematic code path in the idpf driver.