CVE-2025-38038

System hang via conflicting AMD P-state locks

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Deadlock in the Linux kernel amd-pstate CPU-frequency driver allows local users to hang systems by racing boost and mode changes. The set_boost path unnecessarily takes amd_pstate_driver_lock while status_store can acquire a conflicting mutex during a driver mode switch. Reachability requires the AMD P-state driver and concurrent boost and mode-switch operations; the consequence is limited to an operating-system hang.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Deadlock in the Linux kernel amd-pstate CPU-frequency driver allows local users to hang systems by racing boost and mode changes. The set_boost path unnecessarily takes amd_pstate_driver_lock while status_store can acquire a conflicting mutex during a driver mode switch. Reachability requires the AMD P-state driver and concurrent boost and mode-switch operations; the consequence is limited to an operating-system hang.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38038
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=5.17
  2. Affected versionversion=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <61e931ee145eeab8196e585ff4334870b130b744
  3. Affected versionversion=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <cd347d071713234586762d79c5a691785e9be418
  4. Affected versionversion=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <db1cafc77aaaf871509da06f4a864e9af6d6791f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.17; version=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <61e931ee145eeab8196e585ff4334870b130b744; version=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <cd347d071713234586762d79c5a691785e9be418; version=ec437d71db77a181227bf6d0ac9d4a80e58ecf0f <db1cafc77aaaf871509da06f4a864e9af6d6791f

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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