CVE-2025-38137

Kernel memory corruption via PCI rescan race

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux kernel PCI power control from 6.11 before 6.15.3 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during driver removal. The unregister path cleans up pwrctrl data structures while delayed rescan_work_func work can still reference them. Triggering the race requires extending that work and using CAP_SYS_ADMIN or CAP_SYS_MODULE to unbind or unload the pwrctrl driver.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
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 Linux kernel PCI power control from 6.11 before 6.15.3 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during driver removal. The unregister path cleans up pwrctrl data structures while delayed rescan_work_func work can still reference them. Triggering the race requires extending that work and using CAP_SYS_ADMIN or CAP_SYS_MODULE to unbind or unload the pwrctrl driver.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38137
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 3, 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=6.11
  2. Affected versionversion=8f62819aaace77dd85037ae766eb767f8c4417ce <8b926f237743f020518162c62b93cb7107a2b5eb
  3. Affected versionversion=8f62819aaace77dd85037ae766eb767f8c4417ce <b3ad6d23fec23fbef382ce9ea640c37446593cf5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.11; version=8f62819aaace77dd85037ae766eb767f8c4417ce <8b926f237743f020518162c62b93cb7107a2b5eb; version=8f62819aaace77dd85037ae766eb767f8c4417ce <b3ad6d23fec23fbef382ce9ea640c37446593cf5

Published CVSS scores

7.8Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesadmin
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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