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

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

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.