CVE-2025-38097

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: espintcp: remove encap socket caching to avoid reference leak The current scheme for caching the encap socket can lead to reference leaks when we try to delete the netns. The reference chain is: xfrm_state -> enacp_sk -> netns Since the encap socket is a userspace socket, it holds a reference on the netns. If we delete the espintcp state (through flush or individual delete) before removing the netns, the reference on the socket is dropped and the netns is correctly deleted. Otherwise, the netns may not be reachable anymore (if all processes within the ns have terminated), so we cannot delete the xfrm state to drop its reference on the socket. This patch results in a small (~2% in my tests) performance regression. A GC-type mechanism could be added for the socket cache, to clear references if the state hasn't been used "recently", but it's a lot more complex than just not caching the socket.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-07-03
Last modified 2025-12-16
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.6 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.141, 6.6.93, 6.12.31, 6.14.9, 6.15 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.6
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.141 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.93 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.31 6.12.x ✓ 6.14.9 6.14.x ✓ 6.15

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38097 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

5 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-38097?

    CVE-2025-38097 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.6 onward and has been patched in 6.1.141, 6.6.93, 6.12.31 and others. CVE-2025-38097 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38097?

    CVE-2025-38097 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-38097?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38097 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.141, 6.6.93, 6.12.31 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.6 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38097 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38097 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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