What is CVE-2025-38109?

CVE-2025-38109 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, classified as a Use After Free flaw (CWE-416), affecting Linux kernel versions from 6.5 onward and patched in 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and others. CVE-2025-38109 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38109?

CVE-2025-38109 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity. The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-38109?

Yes, CVE-2025-38109 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.5 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

Is CVE-2025-38109 actively exploited?

CVE-2025-38109 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. See MITRE CWE for full details: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/416.html

CVE-2025-38109

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Fix ECVF vports unload on shutdown flow Fix shutdown flow UAF when a virtual function is created on the embedded chip (ECVF) of a BlueField device. In such case the vport acl ingress table is not properly destroyed. ECVF functionality is independent of ecpf_vport_exists capability and thus functions mlx5_eswitch_(enable|disable)_pf_vf_vports() should not test it when enabling/disabling ECVF vports. kernel log: [] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 1 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0x124/0x220 ---------------- [] Call trace: [] refcount_warn_saturate+0x124/0x220 [] tree_put_node+0x164/0x1e0 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_destroy_flow_table+0x98/0x2c0 [mlx5_core] [] esw_acl_ingress_table_destroy+0x28/0x40 [mlx5_core] [] esw_acl_ingress_lgcy_cleanup+0x80/0xf4 [mlx5_core] [] esw_legacy_vport_acl_cleanup+0x44/0x60 [mlx5_core] [] esw_vport_cleanup+0x64/0x90 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_esw_vport_disable+0xc0/0x1d0 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_eswitch_unload_ec_vf_vports+0xcc/0x150 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_eswitch_disable_sriov+0x198/0x2a0 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_device_disable_sriov+0xb8/0x1e0 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_sriov_detach+0x40/0x50 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_unload+0x40/0xc4 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_unload_one_devl_locked+0x6c/0xe4 [mlx5_core] [] mlx5_unload_one+0x3c/0x60 [mlx5_core] [] shutdown+0x7c/0xa4 [mlx5_core] [] pci_device_shutdown+0x3c/0xa0 [] device_shutdown+0x170/0x340 [] __do_sys_reboot+0x1f4/0x2a0 [] __arm64_sys_reboot+0x2c/0x40 [] invoke_syscall+0x78/0x100 [] el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x54/0x184 [] do_el0_svc+0x30/0xac [] el0_svc+0x48/0x160 [] el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa4/0x12c [] el0t_64_sync+0x1a4/0x1a8 [] --[ end trace 9c4601d68c70030e ]---

Package Linux Kernel

Published 2025-07-03

Last modified 2025-11-20

CVSS version 3.1

Patch available

Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

7.8

out of 10

High

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Vector string

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

Weakness type

CWE-416

CVE-2025-38109 is a Use After Free vulnerability

What is Use After Free?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.5 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from

≥ 6.5

Fixed in

✓ 6.6.94 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.34 6.12.x ✓ 6.15.3 6.15.x ✓ 6.16

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38109 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Kernel patch commit
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/24db585d369f949f698e03d7d8017e5ae19d0497
Patch
Kernel patch commit
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5953ae44dfe5dbad374318875be834c3b7b71ee6
Patch
Kernel patch commit
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/687560d8a9a2d654829ad0da1ec24242f1de711d
Patch

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Details

CVE ID CVE-2025-38109

Severity High

CVSS score 7.8 / 10

CVSS version 3.1

Published 2025-07-03

Modified 2025-11-20

KEV No

Patch

Yes

Package linux

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38109?

CVE-2025-38109 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.5 onward and has been patched in 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and others. CVE-2025-38109 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38109?

CVE-2025-38109 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-38109?

Yes — CVE-2025-38109 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.5 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
Is CVE-2025-38109 actively exploited?

No — CVE-2025-38109 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. View CWE-416 on MITRE CWE →