CVE-2025-38614

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recursion depth checks, but those recursion depth checks don't limit the depth of the resulting tree for two reasons: - They don't look upwards in the tree. - If there are multiple downwards paths of different lengths, only one of the paths is actually considered for the depth check since commit 28d82dc1c4ed ("epoll: limit paths"). Essentially, the current recursion depth check in ep_loop_check_proc() just serves to prevent it from recursing too deeply while checking for loops. A more thorough check is done in reverse_path_check() after the new graph edge has already been created; this checks, among other things, that no paths going upwards from any non-epoll file with a length of more than 5 edges exist. However, this check does not apply to non-epoll files. As a result, it is possible to recurse to a depth of at least roughly 500, tested on v6.15. (I am unsure if deeper recursion is possible; and this may have changed with commit 8c44dac8add7 ("eventpoll: Fix priority inversion problem").) To fix it: 1. In ep_loop_check_proc(), note the subtree depth of each visited node, and use subtree depths for the total depth calculation even when a subtree has already been visited. 2. Add ep_get_upwards_depth_proc() for similarly determining the maximum depth of an upwards walk. 3. In ep_loop_check(), use these values to limit the total path length between epoll nodes to EP_MAX_NESTS edges.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-08-19
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-674

CVE-2025-38614 is a Uncontrolled Recursion vulnerability

What is Uncontrolled Recursion?

The product does not properly control the amount of recursion which triggers resource consumption. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.32.30, 2.6.33.8, 2.6.34.10, 2.6.35.12, 2.6.37.3, 2.6.38 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.1, 6.17 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.32.30 ≥ 2.6.33.8 ≥ 2.6.34.10 ≥ 2.6.35.12 ≥ 2.6.37.3 ≥ 2.6.38
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.190 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.149 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.103 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.43 6.12.x ✓ 6.15.11 6.15.x ✓ 6.16.1 6.16.x ✓ 6.17

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38614 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-2025-38614?

    CVE-2025-38614 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Uncontrolled Recursion flaw (CWE-674) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.32.30 onward and has been patched in 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103 and others. CVE-2025-38614 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38614?

    CVE-2025-38614 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-2025-38614?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38614 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.32.30 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38614 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38614 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Uncontrolled Recursion (CWE-674)?

    The product does not properly control the amount of recursion which triggers resource consumption. View CWE-674 on MITRE CWE →