Vulnerability in Linux
CVE-2025-38465
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: Fix wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc. Netlink has this pattern in some places if (atomic_read(&sk->sk_rmem_alloc) > sk->sk_rcvbuf) atomic_add(skb->truesize, &sk->sk_rmem_alloc); , which has the same problem fixed by commit 5a465a0da13e ("udp: Fix multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc."). For example, if we set INT_MAX to SO_RCVBUFFORCE, the condition is always false as the two operands are of int. Then, a single socket can eat as many skb as possible until OOM happens, and we can see multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc. Let's fix it by using atomic_add_return() and comparing the two variables as unsigned int. Before: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port -1668710080 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/293 * After: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port 2147483072 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/290 * ^ `--- INT_MAX - 576
EPSS: 0.002 (6.2th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Affected products
- Linux — versions 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, 2.6.12, 0
- Linux Linux_kernel — versions 2.6.12, 6.16
- Debian Debian_linux — versions 11.0
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 (Third Party Advisory)
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 (Third Party Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-38465?
- CVE-2025-38465 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime. CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2025-07-25.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38465?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2025-38465 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.