CVE-2025-38727
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: avoid infinite retry looping in netlink_unicast() netlink_attachskb() checks for the socket's read memory allocation constraints. Firstly, it has: rmem < READ_ONCE(sk->sk_rcvbuf) to check if the just increased rmem value fits into the socket's receive buffer. If not, it proceeds and tries to wait for the memory under: rmem + skb->truesize > READ_ONCE(sk->sk_rcvbuf) The checks don't cover the case when skb->truesize + sk->sk_rmem_alloc is equal to sk->sk_rcvbuf. Thus the function neither successfully accepts these conditions, nor manages to reschedule the task - and is called in retry loop for indefinite time which is caught as: rcu: INFO: rcu_sched self-detected stall on CPU rcu: 0-....: (25999 ticks this GP) idle=ef2/1/0x4000000000000000 softirq=262269/262269 fqs=6212 (t=26000 jiffies g=230833 q=259957) NMI backtrace for cpu 0 CPU: 0 PID: 22 Comm: kauditd Not tainted 5.10.240 #68 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.17.0-4.fc42 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <IRQ> dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:120 nmi_cpu_backtrace.cold lib/nmi_backtrace.c:105 nmi_trigger_cpumask_backtrace lib/nmi_backtrace.c:62 rcu_dump_cpu_stacks kernel/rcu/tree_stall.h:335 rcu_sched_clock_irq.cold kernel/rcu/tree.c:2590 update_process_times kernel/time/timer.c:1953 tick_sched_handle kernel/time/tick-sched.c:227 tick_sched_timer kernel/time/tick-sched.c:1399 __hrtimer_run_queues kernel/time/hrtimer.c:1652 hrtimer_interrupt kernel/time/hrtimer.c:1717 __sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c:1113 asm_call_irq_on_stack arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:808 </IRQ> netlink_attachskb net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1234 netlink_unicast net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1349 kauditd_send_queue kernel/audit.c:776 kauditd_thread kernel/audit.c:897 kthread kernel/kthread.c:328 ret_from_fork arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:304 Restore the original behavior of the check which commit in Fixes accidentally missed when restructuring the code. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org).
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-835CVE-2025-38727 is a Infinite Loop vulnerability
What is Infinite Loop?
The product contains an iteration that does not exit even when it should. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.4.296,
5.10.240,
5.15.189,
6.1.146,
6.6.99,
6.12.39,
6.15.7,
6.16
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.4.297,
5.10.241,
5.15.190,
6.1.149,
6.6.103,
6.12.43,
6.15.11,
6.16.2,
6.17
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38727 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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Mailing List Third Party Advisory
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Mailing List Third Party Advisory
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/346c820ef5135cf062fa3473da955ef8c5fb6929
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/44ddd7b1ae0b7edb2c832eb16798c827a05e58f0
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/47d49fd07f86d1f55ea1083287303d237e9e0922
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-38727?
CVE-2025-38727 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Infinite Loop flaw (CWE-835) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.4.296 onward and has been patched in 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190 and others. CVE-2025-38727 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38727?
CVE-2025-38727 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-2025-38727?
Yes — CVE-2025-38727 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.4.296 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2025-38727 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-38727 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is Infinite Loop (CWE-835)?
The product contains an iteration that does not exit even when it should. View CWE-835 on MITRE CWE →