CVE-2025-38614
MediumIn 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.
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-674CVE-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.
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.
-
Third Party Advisory
-
-
-
PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b13b033062824495554e836a1ff5f85ccf6b039
-
PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a0c0c974bea9619c6f41794775ae4b97530e0e6
-
PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf3682036
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 →