CVE-2025-38735
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-09-05

Last updated on: 2025-11-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gve: prevent ethtool ops after shutdown A crash can occur if an ethtool operation is invoked after shutdown() is called. shutdown() is invoked during system shutdown to stop DMA operations without performing expensive deallocations. It is discouraged to unregister the netdev in this path, so the device may still be visible to userspace and kernel helpers. In gve, shutdown() tears down most internal data structures. If an ethtool operation is dispatched after shutdown(), it will dereference freed or NULL pointers, leading to a kernel panic. While graceful shutdown normally quiesces userspace before invoking the reboot syscall, forced shutdowns (as observed on GCP VMs) can still trigger this path. Fix by calling netif_device_detach() in shutdown(). This marks the device as detached so the ethtool ioctl handler will skip dispatching operations to the driver.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-09-05
Last Modified
2025-11-03
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2025-09-05
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
CVE-2025-38735
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 6.1.153
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability occurs in the Linux kernel's gve driver where an ethtool operation can be invoked after the shutdown() function has been called. During shutdown(), most internal data structures are torn down, but the device may still appear visible to userspace. If an ethtool operation is dispatched after shutdown(), it can dereference freed or NULL pointers, causing a kernel panic (crash). The issue arises because shutdown() stops DMA operations without fully unregistering the device, allowing ethtool operations to be called on an invalid device state.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can cause a system crash (kernel panic) if an ethtool operation is performed after the device has been shut down. This can lead to system instability or downtime, especially in environments where forced shutdowns occur, such as on Google Cloud Platform virtual machines. The crash may disrupt services and require a system reboot to recover.


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

Apply the fix that calls netif_device_detach() in the shutdown() path for the gve driver. This marks the device as detached so that ethtool ioctl operations will be skipped after shutdown, preventing kernel panic. Avoid forced shutdowns that may trigger ethtool operations after shutdown. Ensure your Linux kernel is updated with this fix.


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