CVE-2025-38115

System crash via stale SFQ queue tail

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

A denial-of-service flaw in affected Linux kernels allows local users to crash the system through SFQ packet scheduling. When sch->q.len is inflated by packets held in sch->gso_skb, sfq_drop() can drop from an otherwise empty qdisc without clearing q->tail, leaving stale queue state. Reachability requires an SFQ qdisc and traffic conditions that requeue GSO packets before the queue drops one.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A denial-of-service flaw in affected Linux kernels allows local users to crash the system through SFQ packet scheduling. When sch->q.len is inflated by packets held in sch->gso_skb, sfq_drop() can drop from an otherwise empty qdisc without clearing q->tail, leaving stale queue state. Reachability requires an SFQ qdisc and traffic conditions that requeue GSO packets before the queue drops one.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38115
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 3, 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

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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=4.16
  2. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <5814a7fc3abb41f63f2d44c9d3ff9d4e62965b72
  3. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <82448d4dcd8406dec688632a405fdcf7f170ec69
  4. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <82ffbe7776d0ac084031f114167712269bf3d832
  5. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <9c19498bdd7cb9d854bd3c54260f71cf7408495e
  6. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <b44f791f27b14c9eb6b907fbe51f2ba8bec32085
  7. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <b4e9bab6011b9559b7c157b16b91ae46d4d8c533
  8. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <c337efb20d6d9f9bbb4746f6b119917af5c886dc
  9. Affected versionversion=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <d1bc80da75c789f2f6830df89d91fb2f7a509943

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.16; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <5814a7fc3abb41f63f2d44c9d3ff9d4e62965b72; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <82448d4dcd8406dec688632a405fdcf7f170ec69; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <82ffbe7776d0ac084031f114167712269bf3d832; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <9c19498bdd7cb9d854bd3c54260f71cf7408495e; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <b44f791f27b14c9eb6b907fbe51f2ba8bec32085; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <b4e9bab6011b9559b7c157b16b91ae46d4d8c533; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <c337efb20d6d9f9bbb4746f6b119917af5c886dc; version=a53851e2c3218aa30b77abd6e68cf1c371f15afe <d1bc80da75c789f2f6830df89d91fb2f7a509943

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Oracle LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Linux kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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
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.

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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