CVE-2025-38017

System-wide denial of service via expired epoll timeout

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in Linux kernel 6.14.4 through 6.14.7 allows local users to hang the system via an expiring epoll_pwait2 timeout. In fs/eventpoll.c, ep_poll skips setting timed_out when a nonzero timeout expires before entry and ep_schedule_timeout returns false, causing an endless busy loop. A low-privileged local process must invoke the affected path; the resulting soft lockup can produce RCU stalls and system-wide deadlocks.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Linux kernel 6.14.4 through 6.14.7 allows local users to hang the system via an expiring epoll_pwait2 timeout. In fs/eventpoll.c, ep_poll skips setting timed_out when a nonzero timeout expires before entry and ep_schedule_timeout returns false, causing an endless busy loop. A low-privileged local process must invoke the affected path; the resulting soft lockup can produce RCU stalls and system-wide deadlocks.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38017
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0a65bc27bd645894175c059397b4916e31955fb2 <d9ec73301099ec5975505e1c3effbe768bab9490
  2. Affected versionversion=6.14.4 <6.14.8
  3. Affected versionversion=99a0ad16dfd114a429df665065dcc576dad743c0 <7631dca012593c95d36199082546a24a0058fc50

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0a65bc27bd645894175c059397b4916e31955fb2 <d9ec73301099ec5975505e1c3effbe768bab9490; version=6.14.4 <6.14.8; version=99a0ad16dfd114a429df665065dcc576dad743c0 <7631dca012593c95d36199082546a24a0058fc50

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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