Vulnerability-Lookup

FKIE_CVE-2025-38542

Vulnerability from fkie_nvd - Published: 2025-08-16 12:15 - Updated: 2026-07-30 06:23

Severity

7.8 (High) - CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5 (Medium) - CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create() When updating an existing route entry in atrtr_create(), the old device reference was not being released before assigning the new device, leading to a device refcount leak. Fix this by calling dev_put() to release the old device reference before holding the new one.

References

URL	Tags
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afd	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119	Patch
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4	Patch
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html	Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html	Mailing List, Third Party Advisory

Impacted products

Vendor	Product	Version
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux	linux_kernel	2.6.12
linux	linux_kernel	2.6.12
linux	linux_kernel	2.6.12
linux	linux_kernel	2.6.12
linux	linux_kernel	6.16
linux	linux_kernel	6.16
linux	linux_kernel	6.16
linux	linux_kernel	6.16
linux	linux_kernel	6.16
debian	debian_linux	11.0

JSON

To clipboard

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  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()\n\nWhen updating an existing route entry in atrtr_create(), the old device\nreference was not being released before assigning the new device,\nleading to a device refcount leak. Fix this by calling dev_put() to\nrelease the old device reference before holding the new one."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "En el kernel de Linux, se ha resuelto la siguiente vulnerabilidad: net: appletalk: Se corrige la fuga de referencia del dispositivo en atrtr_create(). Al actualizar una entrada de ruta existente en atrtr_create(), la referencia del dispositivo anterior no se liberaba antes de asignar el nuevo dispositivo, lo que provocaba una fuga de referencia del dispositivo. Para solucionar esto, llame a dev_put() para liberar la referencia del dispositivo anterior antes de guardar la nueva."
    }
  ],
  "id": "CVE-2025-38542",
  "lastModified": "2026-07-30T06:23:25.000",
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "cvssData": {
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
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        "type": "Secondary"
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        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "type": "Primary"
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  "published": "2025-08-16T12:15:30.083",
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}

CVE-2025-38542 (GCVE-0-2025-38542)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-08-16 11:22 – Updated: 2026-08-05 12:02

Title

net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()

Summary

Severity

7.8 (High)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Assigner

Linux CNA under the mitre root

CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 6653 records in the last 180 days details

References

10 references

URL	Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b92bedf71f25303e2…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7852b01793669248…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2f5dfa87367fdce9…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2e9f50f0bdad73b6…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a17370da6e476d3d…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/473f3eadfc73b0fb6…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64124cf0aab0dd1e1…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/711c80f7d8b163d3e…
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025…
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025…

Impacted products

2 products

Vendor	Product	Version
Linux	Linux	Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119 (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afd (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90 (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4 (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < 4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46 (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < 473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7 (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < 64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b (git) Affected: c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d , < 711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750 (git)
Linux	Linux	Affected: 2.6.12 Unaffected: 0 , < 2.6.12 (semver) Unaffected: 5.4.296 , ≤ 5.4.* (semver) Unaffected: 5.10.240 , ≤ 5.10.* (semver) Unaffected: 5.15.189 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.1.146 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.6.99 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.12.39 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.15.7 , ≤ 6.15.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.16 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
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      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-11-03T17:39:38.181Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "net/appletalk/ddp.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
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              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "net/appletalk/ddp.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2.6.12"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "2.6.12",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.4.296",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.10.240",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.15.189",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.146",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.99",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.39",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.15.7",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.16",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.4.296",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.10.240",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.189",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.146",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.99",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.39",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.15.7",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.16",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()\n\nWhen updating an existing route entry in atrtr_create(), the old device\nreference was not being released before assigning the new device,\nleading to a device refcount leak. Fix this by calling dev_put() to\nrelease the old device reference before holding the new one."
        }
      ],
      "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 vulnerability is reached via `ioctl(SIOCADDRT)` on a locally-created `AF_APPLETALK` socket, requiring local system access. There is no remote or adjacent-network trigger for `atrtr_create()`.\nAC:L - The leak is fully deterministic \u2014 issuing the same `SIOCADDRT` twice for one route target/flags pair leaks a reference on every subsequent call, with no race, timing window, or memory-layout dependency. The attacker controls the loop entirely and `appletalk.ko` autoloads on demand.\nPR:L - The 32-bit compat path `atalk_compat_routing_ioctl()` reaches `atrtr_create()` with no capability check whatsoever (dropped in v5.6 by dc13c8761c91c0), and `compat_sock_ioctl()` dispatches to it before any generic gating, so an ordinary unprivileged user account suffices. Only the native path enforces `capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)`.\nUI:N - The attacker triggers the entire sequence from their own process with socket creation and repeated ioctls. No victim action or cooperation is involved.\nS:U - The leaked reference, the resulting hang, and any subsequent memory corruption are all confined to the kernel\u0027s own security authority. No VM, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary is crossed.\nC:H - The netdev refcount is an unprotected wrappable `int` (`this_cpu_inc` on `pcpu_refcnt`, no `refcount_t` saturation), so sustained leaking wraps `netdev_refcnt_read()` and causes `free_netdev()` while live references remain. The resulting use-after-free on `struct net_device` \u2014 still referenced by routes, qdiscs and sockets \u2014 yields an arbitrary kernel read primitive after heap reclaim.\nI:H - The same refcount wrap produces a dangling `struct net_device`, an object dense with function-pointer tables (`netdev_ops`, `ethtool_ops`, `header_ops`) that is straightforward to reclaim and spray, giving a write and control-flow hijack primitive. Per kernel scoring guidance, use-after-free is rated High for integrity.\nA:H - Each leaked reference makes the device permanently unremovable \u2014 `netdev_wait_allrefs_any()` spins forever from `netdev_run_todo()`, wedging the single-threaded `cleanup_net` workqueue so all further netns teardown and RTNL device removal hangs system-wide until reboot. The `BUG_ON(netdev_refcnt_read(dev) != 1)` in `netdev_run_todo()` additionally gives a directly reachable kernel panic."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:02:46.709Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afd"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750"
        }
      ],
      "title": "net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-38542",
    "datePublished": "2025-08-16T11:22:16.689Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-04-16T04:51:24.024Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:02:46.709Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

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.

Vulnerability timeline

Sightings and recorded dates, grouped by day · UTC

Order JSON

How durations are calculated

Following the VTEM framework (Black Hat USA 2015), time to patch starts when the vendor or a coordinator was informed, total time to patch at discovery, and disclosure to patch at public disclosure; vendor response time runs from the report to its acknowledgement. Time to exploit and time unpatched start at the earliest discovery or report, falling back to public disclosure. Unpatched time ends at the first recorded patch, or the calculation time when no patch is recorded. Exploitation to patch shows the interval between those two events; a published proof of concept is a public exploit, not exploitation.

Each result shows its source dates. A negative interval means the end event came first; when date-only inputs leave the order open, the result says so. Date-only inputs are approximate. The earliest evidence wins: KEV report dates and sightings are labelled as such. Records describing another vulnerability are listed but never calculated from, and a PoC alone does not establish exploitation. Missing patch evidence does not prove that no patch exists. Filters below change the event list only.

Publication & reservation Sightings KEV catalogs Other timestamps

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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.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.

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