CVE-2025-38436

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/scheduler: signal scheduled fence when kill job When an entity from application B is killed, drm_sched_entity_kill() removes all jobs belonging to that entity through drm_sched_entity_kill_jobs_work(). If application A's job depends on a scheduled fence from application B's job, and that fence is not properly signaled during the killing process, application A's dependency cannot be cleared. This leads to application A hanging indefinitely while waiting for a dependency that will never be resolved. Fix this issue by ensuring that scheduled fences are properly signaled when an entity is killed, allowing dependent applications to continue execution.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-07-25
Last modified 2026-04-18
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

Weakness type

CWE-667

CVE-2025-38436 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 4.3 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.169, 6.6.96, 6.12.36, 6.15.5, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.3
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.169 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.96 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-2025-38436 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-2025-38436?

    CVE-2025-38436 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 4.3 onward and has been patched in 6.1.169, 6.6.96, 6.12.36 and others. CVE-2025-38436 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38436?

    CVE-2025-38436 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-2025-38436?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38436 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.169, 6.6.96, 6.12.36 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.3 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38436 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38436 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

    The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. View CWE-667 on MITRE CWE →