CVE-2025-38118Public exploit

Kernel crash via stale advertising-monitor pending command

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel Bluetooth MGMT subsystem allows local users to crash affected kernels through advertising-monitor removal. remove_adv_monitor adds a command to the shared pending list, but mgmt_index_removed can free that entry before mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete reads and frees the same command. The demonstrated trigger uses local HCI socket operations and concurrent controller-index removal; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel Bluetooth MGMT subsystem allows local users to crash affected kernels through advertising-monitor removal. remove_adv_monitor adds a command to the shared pending list, but mgmt_index_removed can free that entry before mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete reads and frees the same command. The demonstrated trigger uses local HCI socket operations and concurrent controller-index removal; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38118
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=5.12
  2. Affected versionversion=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <32aa2fbe319f33b0318ec6f4fceb63879771a286
  3. Affected versionversion=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <3c9aba9cbdf163e2654be9f82d43ff8a04273962
  4. Affected versionversion=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <9df3e5e7f7e4653fd9802878cedc36defc5ef42d
  5. Affected versionversion=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <9f66b6531c2b4e996bb61720ee94adb4b2e8d1be
  6. Affected versionversion=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <e6ed54e86aae9e4f7286ce8d5c73780f91b48d1c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.12; version=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <32aa2fbe319f33b0318ec6f4fceb63879771a286; version=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <3c9aba9cbdf163e2654be9f82d43ff8a04273962; version=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <9df3e5e7f7e4653fd9802878cedc36defc5ef42d; version=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <9f66b6531c2b4e996bb61720ee94adb4b2e8d1be; version=66bd095ab5d408af106808cce302406542f70f65 <e6ed54e86aae9e4f7286ce8d5c73780f91b48d1c

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS: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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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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