NULL pointer dereference in Linux
CVE-2025-38489
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/bpf: Fix bpf_arch_text_poke() with new_addr == NULL again Commit 7ded842b356d ("s390/bpf: Fix bpf_plt pointer arithmetic") has accidentally removed the critical piece of commit c730fce7c70c ("s390/bpf: Fix bpf_arch_text_poke() with new_addr == NULL"), causing intermittent kernel panics in e.g. perf's on_switch() prog to reappear. Restore the fix and add a comment.
EPSS: 0.001 (3.5th 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 0, 6.8.5, 6.12.40
- Linux Linux_kernel — versions 6.9, 6.16
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-38489?
- CVE-2025-38489 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2025-07-28.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38489?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2025-38489 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.