CVE-2025-38062

Kernel memory corruption via stale MSI pointer

Published Jun 18, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users with VFIO/iommufd device access to corrupt memory or crash the host. The MSI translation path stores an IOMMU IOVA as a cookie pointer in msi_desc, then dereferences it after an attacker-controlled domain replacement frees it. Access to /dev/vfio/devices/* and /dev/iommu is required; exploitation can disclose kernel slab data, corrupt kernel memory, panic the host, or stop device interrupts.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users with VFIO/iommufd device access to corrupt memory or crash the host. The MSI translation path stores an IOMMU IOVA as a cookie pointer in msi_desc, then dereferences it after an attacker-controlled domain replacement frees it. Access to /dev/vfio/devices/* and /dev/iommu is required; exploitation can disclose kernel slab data, corrupt kernel memory, panic the host, or stop device interrupts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38062
Published
Jun 18, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <1f7df3a691740a7736bbc99dc4ed536120eb4746
  3. Affected versionversion=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <53f42776e435f63e5f8e61955e4c205dbfeaf524
  4. Affected versionversion=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <856152eb91e67858a09e30a7149a1f29b04b7384
  5. Affected versionversion=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <ba41e4e627db51d914444aee0b93eb67f31fa330
  6. Affected versionversion=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <e4d3763223c7b72ded53425207075e7453b4e3d5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.2; version=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <1f7df3a691740a7736bbc99dc4ed536120eb4746; version=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <53f42776e435f63e5f8e61955e4c205dbfeaf524; version=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <856152eb91e67858a09e30a7149a1f29b04b7384; version=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <ba41e4e627db51d914444aee0b93eb67f31fa330; version=ece6e6f0218b7777e650bf93728130ae6f4feb7d <e4d3763223c7b72ded53425207075e7453b4e3d5

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5NVDCVSS: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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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