CVE-2025-38408 (GCVE-0-2025-38408)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-07-25 13:20 – Updated: 2026-08-05 12:01
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly
Initialize `ops` member's pointers properly by using kzalloc() instead of
kmalloc() when allocating the simulation work context. Otherwise the
pointers contain random content leading to invalid dereferencing.
Severity
7.8 (High)
Assigner
References
6 references
Impacted products
2 products
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < 186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861
(git)
Affected: 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fb (git) Affected: 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629 (git) Affected: 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < 19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a (git) Affected: 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < 7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c (git) Affected: 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1 , < 8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819 (git) |
guessed | |
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
5.8
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.8 (semver) Unaffected: 5.15.199 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.1.162 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.6.120 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.12.37 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.15.6 , ≤ 6.15.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.16 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix) |
guessed |
{
"containers": {
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},
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"version": "6.6.120",
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},
{
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"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.37",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.15.6",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
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"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.16",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
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}
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"negate": false,
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],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ngenirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly\n\nInitialize `ops` member\u0027s pointers properly by using kzalloc() instead of\nkmalloc() when allocating the simulation work context. Otherwise the\npointers contain random content leading to invalid dereferencing."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 7.8,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "AV:L - The vulnerable code is reached through a local ioctl on the GPIO character device (/dev/gpiochipN) exposed by the gpio-mockup simulator, or via the local iio-dummy device; there is no network-facing path to irq_sim.\nAC:L - A single GPIO_V2_GET_LINE_IOCTL with an edge-detect flag deterministically drives request_threaded_irq() into irq_sim_request_resources(), which unconditionally tests and calls the uninitialized ops pointer on every request; the attacker can additionally groom the kmalloc-96 slab to shape the stale contents.\nPR:L - An unprivileged local account with access to the GPIO chardev \u2014 routinely granted via the \"gpio\" group udev rule on embedded, IoT and automation systems \u2014 can request an edge-triggered line and reach the wild call; no root or capability is required for the triggering ioctl.\nUI:N - The attacker triggers the faulty indirect call entirely through their own ioctl/close sequence; no action by another user or administrator is needed.\nS:U - The uninitialized function-pointer call executes in kernel context on the same host and does not cross a virtualization, IOMMU, or sandbox authority boundary.\nC:H - Branching to an attacker-groomable stale heap value is a direct control-flow hijack primitive that can be leveraged into arbitrary kernel memory disclosure; the call also leaks the state of recycled slab memory into control flow.\nI:H - Calling through an uninitialized function pointer whose backing slab object can be sprayed with attacker-controlled data yields instruction-pointer control and hence arbitrary kernel code execution and memory modification.\nA:H - Even without successful grooming, the indirect branch to stale garbage causes an immediate kernel oops or CFI panic, and it can be triggered repeatedly."
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:01:39.572Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fb"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819"
}
],
"title": "genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly",
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"cveMetadata": {
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"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2025-38408",
"datePublished": "2025-07-25T13:20:13.253Z",
"dateReserved": "2025-04-16T04:51:24.013Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:01:39.572Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"epss": {
"cve": "CVE-2025-38408",
"date": "2026-09-13",
"epss": "0.0017",
"percentile": "0.06645"
},
"microsoft_vex": {
"current_release_date": "2026-03-31T14:56:16.000Z",
"cve": "CVE-2025-38408",
"id": "msrc_CVE-2025-38408",
"initial_release_date": "2025-07-02T00:00:00.000Z",
"product_status:known_affected": "3",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "1",
"source": "Microsoft CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2025/msrc_cve-2025-38408.json",
"version": "5"
},
"nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2025-38408\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"published\":\"2025-07-25T14:15:32.440\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-07-30T06:23:12.640\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Modified\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\\n\\ngenirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly\\n\\nInitialize `ops` member\u0027s pointers properly by using kzalloc() instead of\\nkmalloc() when allocating the simulation work context. Otherwise the\\npointers contain random content leading to invalid dereferencing.\"},{\"lang\":\"es\",\"value\":\"En el kernel de Linux, se ha resuelto la siguiente vulnerabilidad: genirq/irq_sim: Inicializar correctamente los punteros del contexto de trabajo. Inicializar correctamente los punteros del miembro `ops` usando kzalloc() en lugar de kmalloc() al asignar el contexto de trabajo de simulaci\u00f3n. De lo contrario, los punteros contienen contenido aleatorio, lo que provoca una desreferenciaci\u00f3n no v\u00e1lida.\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"programFiles\":[\"kernel/irq/irq_sim.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fb\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1\",\"lessThan\":\"8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]},{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"affected\",\"programFiles\":[\"kernel/irq/irq_sim.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"5.8\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0\",\"lessThan\":\"5.8\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"5.15.199\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"5.15.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.1.162\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.6.120\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.6.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.12.37\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.12.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.15.6\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.15.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.16\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"*\",\"versionType\":\"original_commit_for_fix\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":7.8,\"baseSeverity\":\"HIGH\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"LOW\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":5.9},{\"source\":\"nvd@nist.gov\",\"type\":\"Primary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H\",\"baseScore\":5.5,\"baseSeverity\":\"MEDIUM\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"LOW\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"NONE\",\"integrityImpact\":\"NONE\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":3.6}]},\"weaknesses\":[{\"source\":\"nvd@nist.gov\",\"type\":\"Primary\",\"description\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"CWE-476\"}]}],\"configurations\":[{\"nodes\":[{\"operator\":\"OR\",\"negate\":false,\"cpeMatch\":[{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"versionStartIncluding\":\"5.8\",\"versionEndExcluding\":\"6.12.37\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"0A1AA99A-84C5-4F7F-B9AD-5A171DA2B7A0\"},{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"versionStartIncluding\":\"6.13\",\"versionEndExcluding\":\"6.15.6\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"6E0BB4E0-44BC-4645-83A8-6EA232CE624C\"},{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"6D4894DB-CCFE-4602-B1BF-3960B2E19A01\"},{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"09709862-E348-4378-8632-5A7813EDDC86\"}]}]}],\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"tags\":[\"Patch\"]},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"tags\":[\"Patch\"]},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"tags\":[\"Patch\"]},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"tags\":[\"Patch\"]},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c71a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"redhat_vex": {
"aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
"current_release_date": "2026-07-30T09:04:16+00:00",
"cve": "CVE-2025-38408",
"id": "CVE-2025-38408",
"initial_release_date": "2025-07-25T00:00:00+00:00",
"product_status:known_affected": "184",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "90",
"source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service via improper pointer initialization",
"url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-38408.json",
"version": "3"
}
}
}
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Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
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The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the
vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
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