CVE-2025-38055

Local kernel crash via PEBS bit misindexing

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux 6.10.5 through 6.11 allows local users to crash the kernel via PEBS-via-PT frequency sampling. The intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain() function treats PEBS-via-PT control bits 60 and 61 as counter indexes and dereferences an invalid address. Triggering requires local low-privileged access to performance events on compatible Intel hardware; successful exploitation causes a kernel crash, without reported data disclosure or modification.

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

NULL pointer dereference in Linux 6.10.5 through 6.11 allows local users to crash the kernel via PEBS-via-PT frequency sampling. The intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain() function treats PEBS-via-PT control bits 60 and 61 as counter indexes and dereferences an invalid address. Triggering requires local low-privileged access to performance events on compatible Intel hardware; successful exploitation causes a kernel crash, without reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38055
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=6.10.5 <6.11
  2. Affected versionversion=6.11
  3. Affected versionversion=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <0b1874a5b1173fbcb2185ab828f4c33d067e551e
  4. Affected versionversion=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <99bcd91fabada0dbb1d5f0de44532d8008db93c6
  5. Affected versionversion=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <ca51db23166767a8445deb8331c9b8d5205d9287
  6. Affected versionversion=a9d6d466bcf0621a872e1052bc40e4c6f0541b8d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.10.5 <6.11; version=6.11; version=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <0b1874a5b1173fbcb2185ab828f4c33d067e551e; version=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <99bcd91fabada0dbb1d5f0de44532d8008db93c6; version=722e42e45c2f1c6d1adec7813651dba5139f52f4 <ca51db23166767a8445deb8331c9b8d5205d9287; version=a9d6d466bcf0621a872e1052bc40e4c6f0541b8d

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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