CVE-2025-38659

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gfs2: No more self recovery When a node withdraws and it turns out that it is the only node that has the filesystem mounted, gfs2 currently tries to replay the local journal to bring the filesystem back into a consistent state. Not only is that a very bad idea, it has also never worked because gfs2_recover_func() will refuse to do anything during a withdraw. However, before even getting to this point, gfs2_recover_func() dereferences sdp->sd_jdesc->jd_inode. This was a use-after-free before commit 04133b607a78 ("gfs2: Prevent double iput for journal on error") and is a NULL pointer dereference since then. Simply get rid of self recovery to fix that.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-08-22
Last modified 2026-06-01
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-2025-38659 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 5.7 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.209, 6.1.167, 6.6.102, 6.12.42, 6.15.10, 6.16.1, 6.17 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.7
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.209 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.167 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.102 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.42 6.12.x ✓ 6.15.10 6.15.x ✓ 6.16.1 6.16.x ✓ 6.17

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38659 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-2025-38659?

    CVE-2025-38659 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 5.7 onward and has been patched in 5.15.209, 6.1.167, 6.6.102 and others. CVE-2025-38659 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38659?

    CVE-2025-38659 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-2025-38659?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38659 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.209, 6.1.167, 6.6.102 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.7 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38659 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38659 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 →

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