CVE-2025-38273

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tipc: fix refcount warning in tipc_aead_encrypt syzbot reported a refcount warning [1] caused by calling get_net() on a network namespace that is being destroyed (refcount=0). This happens when a TIPC discovery timer fires during network namespace cleanup. The recently added get_net() call in commit e279024617134 ("net/tipc: fix slab-use-after-free Read in tipc_aead_encrypt_done") attempts to hold a reference to the network namespace. However, if the namespace is already being destroyed, its refcount might be zero, leading to the use-after-free warning. Replace get_net() with maybe_get_net(), which safely checks if the refcount is non-zero before incrementing it. If the namespace is being destroyed, return -ENODEV early, after releasing the bearer reference. [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/T/#m12019cf9ae77e1954f666914640efa36d52704a2

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-07-10
Last modified 2025-12-18
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 5.10.238, 5.15.185, 6.1.141, 6.6.93, 6.12.31, 6.14.9, 6.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.239, 5.15.186, 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.10.238 ≥ 5.15.185 ≥ 6.1.141 ≥ 6.6.93 ≥ 6.12.31 ≥ 6.14.9 ≥ 6.15
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.239 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.186 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.142 6.1.x ✓ 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-2025-38273 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

7 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-38273?

    CVE-2025-38273 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.238 onward and has been patched in 5.10.239, 5.15.186, 6.1.142 and others. CVE-2025-38273 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38273?

    CVE-2025-38273 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-2025-38273?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38273 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.239, 5.15.186, 6.1.142 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.238 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38273 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38273 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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