What is CVE-2025-38268?

CVE-2025-38268 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, classified as a Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667), affecting Linux kernel versions from 6.9 onward and patched in 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and 6.16. CVE-2025-38268 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38268?

CVE-2025-38268 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity. 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-2025-38268?

Yes, CVE-2025-38268 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and 6.16. If you are running Linux kernel 6.9 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

Is CVE-2025-38268 actively exploited?

CVE-2025-38268 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. See MITRE CWE for full details: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/667.html

CVE-2025-38268

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: typec: tcpm: move tcpm_queue_vdm_unlocked to asynchronous work A state check was previously added to tcpm_queue_vdm_unlocked to prevent a deadlock where the DisplayPort Alt Mode driver would be executing work and attempting to grab the tcpm_lock while the TCPM was holding the lock and attempting to unregister the altmode, blocking on the altmode driver's cancel_work_sync call. Because the state check isn't protected, there is a small window where the Alt Mode driver could determine that the TCPM is in a ready state and attempt to grab the lock while the TCPM grabs the lock and changes the TCPM state to one that causes the deadlock. The callstack is provided below: [110121.667392][ C7] Call trace: [110121.667396][ C7] __switch_to+0x174/0x338 [110121.667406][ C7] __schedule+0x608/0x9f0 [110121.667414][ C7] schedule+0x7c/0xe8 [110121.667423][ C7] kernfs_drain+0xb0/0x114 [110121.667431][ C7] __kernfs_remove+0x16c/0x20c [110121.667436][ C7] kernfs_remove_by_name_ns+0x74/0xe8 [110121.667442][ C7] sysfs_remove_group+0x84/0xe8 [110121.667450][ C7] sysfs_remove_groups+0x34/0x58 [110121.667458][ C7] device_remove_groups+0x10/0x20 [110121.667464][ C7] device_release_driver_internal+0x164/0x2e4 [110121.667475][ C7] device_release_driver+0x18/0x28 [110121.667484][ C7] bus_remove_device+0xec/0x118 [110121.667491][ C7] device_del+0x1e8/0x4ac [110121.667498][ C7] device_unregister+0x18/0x38 [110121.667504][ C7] typec_unregister_altmode+0x30/0x44 [110121.667515][ C7] tcpm_reset_port+0xac/0x370 [110121.667523][ C7] tcpm_snk_detach+0x84/0xb8 [110121.667529][ C7] run_state_machine+0x4c0/0x1b68 [110121.667536][ C7] tcpm_state_machine_work+0x94/0xe4 [110121.667544][ C7] kthread_worker_fn+0x10c/0x244 [110121.667552][ C7] kthread+0x104/0x1d4 [110121.667557][ C7] ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 [110121.667689][ C7] Workqueue: events dp_altmode_work [110121.667697][ C7] Call trace: [110121.667701][ C7] __switch_to+0x174/0x338 [110121.667710][ C7] __schedule+0x608/0x9f0 [110121.667717][ C7] schedule+0x7c/0xe8 [110121.667725][ C7] schedule_preempt_disabled+0x24/0x40 [110121.667733][ C7] __mutex_lock+0x408/0xdac [110121.667741][ C7] __mutex_lock_slowpath+0x14/0x24 [110121.667748][ C7] mutex_lock+0x40/0xec [110121.667757][ C7] tcpm_altmode_enter+0x78/0xb4 [110121.667764][ C7] typec_altmode_enter+0xdc/0x10c [110121.667769][ C7] dp_altmode_work+0x68/0x164 [110121.667775][ C7] process_one_work+0x1e4/0x43c [110121.667783][ C7] worker_thread+0x25c/0x430 [110121.667789][ C7] kthread+0x104/0x1d4 [110121.667794][ C7] ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 Change tcpm_queue_vdm_unlocked to queue for tcpm_queue_vdm_work, which can perform the state check while holding the TCPM lock while the Alt Mode lock is no longer held. This requires a new struct to hold the vdm data, altmode_vdm_event.

Package Linux Kernel

Published 2025-07-10

Last modified 2025-11-20

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

Weakness type

CWE-667

CVE-2025-38268 is a Improper Locking vulnerability

What is Improper Locking?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.9 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from

≥ 6.9

Fixed in

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

References

3 total

Kernel Git
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1970d34b48cbeceb0c765984c9a6bb204c77f16a

Patch
Kernel Git
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/324d45e53f1a36c88bc649dc39e0c8300a41be0a

Patch
Kernel Git
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7bdd712abefbec79176ab412d8c623e755c5d0ba

Patch

Details

CVE ID CVE-2025-38268

Severity Medium

CVSS score 5.5 / 10

CVSS version 3.1

Published 2025-07-10

Modified 2025-11-20

KEV No

Patch

Yes

Package linux

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38268?

CVE-2025-38268 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.9 onward and has been patched in 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and 6.16. CVE-2025-38268 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38268?

CVE-2025-38268 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-2025-38268?

Yes. CVE-2025-38268 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.34, 6.15.3 and 6.16. If you are running Linux kernel 6.9 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
Is CVE-2025-38268 actively exploited?

No. CVE-2025-38268 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.