CVE-2025-38282

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active() as found out by Chen Ridong: kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1 __kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002 kernfs_drain ... wait_event //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfs_break_active_protection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfs_unbreak_active_protection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfs_should_drain_open_files // warning occurs kernfs_put_active To avoid the false positives (mind panic_on_warn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)

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 6.1 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.1
Fixed in
✓ 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-2025-38282 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-2025-38282?

    CVE-2025-38282 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.1 onward and has been patched in 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34 and others. CVE-2025-38282 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38282?

    CVE-2025-38282 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-2025-38282?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38282 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38282 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38282 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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