CVE-2025-38466

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes Jann reports that uprobes can be used destructively when used in the middle of an instruction. The kernel only verifies there is a valid instruction at the requested offset, but due to variable instruction length cannot determine if this is an instruction as seen by the intended execution stream. Additionally, Mark Rutland notes that on architectures that mix data in the text segment (like arm64), a similar things can be done if the data word is 'mistaken' for an instruction. As such, require CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.8 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146, 6.6.99, 6.12.39, 6.15.7, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.8
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.240 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.189 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.146 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.99 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.39 6.12.x ✓ 6.15.7 6.15.x ✓ 6.16

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38466 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-2025-38466?

    CVE-2025-38466 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.8 onward and has been patched in 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146 and others. CVE-2025-38466 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38466?

    CVE-2025-38466 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-2025-38466?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38466 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.8 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38466 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38466 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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