CVE-2025-38364
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: maple_tree: fix MA_STATE_PREALLOC flag in mas_preallocate() Temporarily clear the preallocation flag when explicitly requesting allocations. Pre-existing allocations are already counted against the request through mas_node_count_gfp(), but the allocations will not happen if the MA_STATE_PREALLOC flag is set. This flag is meant to avoid re-allocating in bulk allocation mode, and to detect issues with preallocation calculations. The MA_STATE_PREALLOC flag should also always be set on zero allocations so that detection of underflow allocations will print a WARN_ON() during consumption. User visible effect of this flaw is a WARN_ON() followed by a null pointer dereference when subsequent requests for larger number of nodes is ignored, such as the vma merge retry in mmap_region() caused by drivers altering the vma flags (which happens in v6.6, at least)
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-476CVE-2025-38364 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability
What is NULL Pointer Dereference?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.1.146,
6.6.99,
6.12.36,
6.15.5,
6.16
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38364 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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Third Party Advisory
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e32f4700867abbd5d19abfcf698dbd0d2ce36a4
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf95f8426f889949b738f51ffcd72884411f3a6a
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d69cd64bd5af41c6fd409313504089970edaf02f
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-38364?
CVE-2025-38364 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.1 onward and has been patched in 6.1.146, 6.6.99, 6.12.36 and others. CVE-2025-38364 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38364?
CVE-2025-38364 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-2025-38364?
Yes — CVE-2025-38364 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.146, 6.6.99, 6.12.36 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.
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Is CVE-2025-38364 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-38364 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →