Vulnerability in Linux
CVE-2025-38549
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: efivarfs: Fix memory leak of efivarfs_fs_info in fs_context error paths When processing mount options, efivarfs allocates efivarfs_fs_info (sfi) early in fs_context initialization. However, sfi is associated with the superblock and typically freed when the superblock is destroyed. If the fs_context is released (final put) before fill_super is called—such as on error paths or during reconfiguration—the sfi structure would leak, as ownership never transfers to the superblock. Implement the .free callback in efivarfs_context_ops to ensure any allocated sfi is properly freed if the fs_context is torn down before fill_super, preventing this memory leak.
EPSS: 0.001 (4.0th 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 5329aa5101f73c451bcd48deaf3f296685849d9c, 6.7, 0
- Linux Linux_kernel — versions 6.16
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-38549?
- CVE-2025-38549 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime. CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2025-08-16.
- How severe is CVE-2025-38549?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.