CVE-2025-38364

Medium

In 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)

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-07-25
Last modified 2026-05-12
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-476

CVE-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.

Affected from
≥ 6.1
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.146 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.99 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.36 6.12.x ✓ 6.15.5 6.15.x ✓ 6.16

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.

Frequently asked questions

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 →