CVE-2025-38161

Local kernel memory corruption via failed RQ rollback

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel RDMA/mlx5 driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through local RDMA verbs. When DESTROY_RQ fails, mlx5_core_destroy_rq_tracked() releases software state instead of restoring the receive queue, so a second destruction underflows its reference count. Reachability requires access to an InfiniBand uverbs device and mlx5 hardware or an exposed equivalent; triggering the flaw can corrupt memory or indefinitely block kernel activity.

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 the Linux kernel RDMA/mlx5 driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through local RDMA verbs. When DESTROY_RQ fails, mlx5_core_destroy_rq_tracked() releases software state instead of restoring the receive queue, so a second destruction underflows its reference count. Reachability requires access to an InfiniBand uverbs device and mlx5 hardware or an exposed equivalent; triggering the flaw can corrupt memory or indefinitely block kernel activity.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38161
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=4.5
  2. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <0a7790cbba654e925243571cf2f24d61603d3ed3
  3. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <26d2f662d3a6655a82fd8a287e8b1ce471567f36
  4. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <50ac361ff8914133e3cf6ef184bac90c22cb8d79
  5. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <5d2ea5aebbb2f3ebde4403f9c55b2b057e5dd2d6
  6. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <7c4c84cdcc19e89d42f6bf117238e5471173423e
  7. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <cf32affe6f3801cfb72a65e69c4bc7a8ee9be100
  8. Affected versionversion=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <f9784da76ad7be66230e829e743bdf68a2c49e56

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.5; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <0a7790cbba654e925243571cf2f24d61603d3ed3; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <26d2f662d3a6655a82fd8a287e8b1ce471567f36; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <50ac361ff8914133e3cf6ef184bac90c22cb8d79; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <5d2ea5aebbb2f3ebde4403f9c55b2b057e5dd2d6; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <7c4c84cdcc19e89d42f6bf117238e5471173423e; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <cf32affe6f3801cfb72a65e69c4bc7a8ee9be100; version=e2013b212f9f201c71fc5826ce41f39ebece0852 <f9784da76ad7be66230e829e743bdf68a2c49e56

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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

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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

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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