CVE-2025-38528 (GCVE-0-2025-38528)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-08-16 11:12 – Updated: 2026-10-15 21:52
VLAI
Title
bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers static const char fmt[] = "%p%"; bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt)); The above BPF program isn't rejected and causes a kernel warning at runtime: Please remove unsupported %\x00 in format string WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 at lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0 This happens because bpf_bprintf_prepare skips over the second %, detected as punctuation, while processing %p. This patch fixes it by not skipping over punctuation. %\x00 is then processed in the next iteration and rejected.
Severity
7.1 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
SSVC
Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2026-10-15 21:51 UTC
Assigner
Linux CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 7063 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < 97303e541e12f1fea97834ec64b98991e8775f39 (git)
Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < 61d5fa45ed13e42af14c7e959baba9908b8ee6d4 (git)
Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < e7be679124bae8cf4fa6e40d7e1661baddfb3289 (git)
Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < 6952aeace93f8c9ea01849efecac24dd3152c9c9 (git)
Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < 1c5f5fd47bbda17cb885fe6f03730702cd53d3f8 (git)
Affected: 48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915 , < f8242745871f81a3ac37f9f51853d12854fd0b58 (git)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Linux Linux Affected: 5.13
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.13 (semver)
Unaffected: 5.15.190 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.147 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.6.100 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.40 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.15.8 , ≤ 6.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.16 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
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            "value": "En el kernel de Linux, se ha resuelto la siguiente vulnerabilidad: bpf: Rechazo de la cadena de formato %p% en ayudantes similares a bprintf. static const char fmt[] = \"%p%\"; bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt)); El programa BPF anterior no se rechaza y genera una advertencia del kernel en tiempo de ejecuci\u00f3n: Por favor, elimine el %\\x00 no compatible en la cadena de formato. ADVERTENCIA: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 en lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0. Esto ocurre porque bpf_bprintf_prepare omite el segundo %, detectado como signo de puntuaci\u00f3n, al procesar %p. Este parche lo corrige al no omitir la puntuaci\u00f3n. %\\x00 se procesa en la siguiente iteraci\u00f3n y se rechaza."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2025-38528",
        "lastModified": "2026-10-15T22:18:44.843",
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                "userInteraction": "NONE",
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          },
          {
            "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
            "tags": [
              "Mailing List",
              "Third Party Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "vulnStatus": "Modified",
        "weaknesses": [
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                "lang": "en",
                "value": "NVD-CWE-noinfo"
              }
            ],
            "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
            "type": "Primary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Low",
      "current_release_date": "2026-10-17T19:55:36+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2025-38528",
      "id": "CVE-2025-38528",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-08-16T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_affected": "233",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "42",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service in BPF due to format string vulnerability",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-38528.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "vulnrichment": {
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            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2025-11-03T17:39:24.864Z",
              "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
              "shortName": "CVE"
            },
            "references": [
              {
                "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html"
              }
            ],
            "title": "CVE Program Container"
          },
          {
            "metrics": [
              {
                "other": {
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2025-38528",
                    "options": [
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                        "Exploitation": "none"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "partial"
                      }
                    ],
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "timestamp": "2026-10-15T21:51:29.402427Z",
                    "version": "2.0.3"
                  },
                  "type": "ssvc"
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              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2026-10-15T21:51:30.447Z",
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
            },
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "affected": [
            {
              "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
              "product": "Linux",
              "programFiles": [
                "kernel/bpf/helpers.c"
              ],
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "vendor": "Linux",
              "versions": [
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                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915",
                  "versionType": "git"
                },
                {
                  "lessThan": "61d5fa45ed13e42af14c7e959baba9908b8ee6d4",
                  "status": "affected",
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                  "versionType": "git"
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                {
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                  "status": "affected",
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                  "versionType": "git"
                },
                {
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                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "48cac3f4a96ddf08df8e53809ed066de0dc93915",
                  "versionType": "git"
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              "product": "Linux",
              "programFiles": [
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              ],
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "vendor": "Linux",
              "versions": [
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                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "5.13"
                },
                {
                  "lessThan": "5.13",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "0",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
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                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "5.15.190",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "6.1.147",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "6.6.100",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "6.12.40",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "6.15.*",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "6.15.8",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                },
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
                  "status": "unaffected",
                  "version": "6.16",
                  "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
                }
              ]
            }
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          "cpeApplicability": [
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                  "cpeMatch": [
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                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.190",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    },
                    {
                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.147",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    },
                    {
                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.100",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    },
                    {
                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.40",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    },
                    {
                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "6.15.8",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    },
                    {
                      "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                      "versionEndExcluding": "6.16",
                      "versionStartIncluding": "5.13",
                      "vulnerable": true
                    }
                  ],
                  "negate": false,
                  "operator": "OR"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nbpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers\n\nstatic const char fmt[] = \"%p%\";\n    bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt));\n\nThe above BPF program isn\u0027t rejected and causes a kernel warning at\nruntime:\n\n    Please remove unsupported %\\x00 in format string\n    WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 at lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0\n\nThis happens because bpf_bprintf_prepare skips over the second %,\ndetected as punctuation, while processing %p. This patch fixes it by\nnot skipping over punctuation. %\\x00 is then processed in the next\niteration and rejected."
            }
          ],
          "metrics": [
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              "cvssV3_1": {
                "baseScore": 7.1,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "scenarios": [
                {
                  "lang": "en",
                  "value": "AV:L - The only trigger is a locally loaded eBPF program invoking a bprintf-like helper (`bpf_trace_printk`, `bpf_trace_vprintk`, `bpf_snprintf`, `bpf_seq_printf`) via the `bpf()` syscall; the format string is attacker-authored at `BPF_PROG_LOAD` time and consumed in the calling task\u0027s own context. No remote peer or packet can supply a format string.\nAC:L - The attacker fully controls the constant format string, so `\"%p%\"` deterministically reaches the `WARN_ONCE` in `format_decode()` and `\"%p%s\"` deterministically desyncs `bpf_bprintf_prepare()` from `bstr_printf()` on the first call \u2014 no race, no timing window, no dependence on memory layout the attacker cannot influence.\nPR:L - Reaching the helpers requires CAP_BPF plus CAP_PERFMON (or CAP_SYS_ADMIN) rather than full root, and these are routinely granted to non-root eBPF observability/profiling service accounts and can be delegated into a user namespace via a BPF token (supported in all affected 6.9+ branches), so a low-privilege non-root actor suffices.\nUI:N - The attacker performs self-contained `bpf(BPF_PROG_LOAD)` and program-run/attach operations; no victim must mount a filesystem, open a file, or take any other action.\nS:U - The faulty parse, the warning, and the stale-memory read all occur in the kernel\u0027s own security authority within the calling task\u0027s context; no hypervisor, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary is crossed.\nC:H - The prepare/print desync makes `bstr_printf()`\u0027s `FORMAT_STATE_STR` `strlen()` and copy uninitialized bytes from the per-CPU `bpf_bprintf_buffers` (512-byte `bin_args` followed by the 1024-byte `buf`, and potentially past the struct into adjacent per-CPU memory) straight into the `bpf_snprintf` output buffer or trace ring buffer that the attacker reads; because `nocopy_fmt` stores raw unhashed 64-bit values there, this leaks unsanitized kernel pointers, on top of the KASLR-defeating backtrace the `WARN_ONCE` dumps to dmesg.\nI:N - All writes stay bounded \u2014 `nocopy_fmt` checks `tmp_buf_end - tmp_buf` before storing, and `bstr_printf()`/`string()` gate every store on `str \u003c end` \u2014 so the bug under-fills the argument buffer rather than overflowing it; no kernel or user memory is modified out of bounds.\nA:H - `\"%p%\"` triggers `WARN_ONCE` at `lib/vsprintf.c:2807`, which becomes a full kernel panic on the widely deployed `panic_on_warn=1` used in hardened cloud, Android, and fuzzing configurations \u2014 exactly the crash syzbot reported \u2014 and the unbounded `strlen()` over per-CPU memory can additionally fault; even without `panic_on_warn` the splat taints the kernel and can trip health-check tooling into taking the node down."
                }
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            }
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            "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:02:41.331Z",
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        "cveId": "CVE-2025-38528",
        "datePublished": "2025-08-16T11:12:21.667Z",
        "dateReserved": "2025-04-16T04:51:24.023Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-15T21:52:18.869Z",
        "state": "PUBLISHED"
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  }
}



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