CVE-2025-38163

Kernel panic via inconsistent valid-block accounting

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in Linux kernel F2FS allows local users to panic the kernel by truncating a file on a crafted filesystem image. The dec_valid_block_count routine trusts that inode-mapped blocks do not exceed sbi->total_valid_block_count and invokes BUG_ON when malformed metadata violates that invariant. Reachability requires a crafted F2FS image to be mounted and a file on it truncated; the documented consequence is a kernel panic and host service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Denial of service in Linux kernel F2FS allows local users to panic the kernel by truncating a file on a crafted filesystem image. The dec_valid_block_count routine trusts that inode-mapped blocks do not exceed sbi->total_valid_block_count and invokes BUG_ON when malformed metadata violates that invariant. Reachability requires a crafted F2FS image to be mounted and a file on it truncated; the documented consequence is a kernel panic and host service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38163
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

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=3.8
  2. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <05872a167c2cab80ef186ef23cc34a6776a1a30c
  3. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <25f3776b58c1c45ad2e50ab4b263505b4d2378ca
  4. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <49bc7bf38e42cfa642787e947f5721696ea73ac3
  5. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <65b3f76592aed5a43c4d79375ac097acf975972b
  6. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <6a324d77f7ea1a91d55c4b6ad970e3ac9ab6a20d
  7. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <a39cc43efc1bca74ed9d6cf9e60b995071f7d178
  8. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <ccc28c0397f75a3ec9539cceed9db014d7b73869
  9. Affected versionversion=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <f1b743c1955151bd392539b739a3ad155296be13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.8; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <05872a167c2cab80ef186ef23cc34a6776a1a30c; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <25f3776b58c1c45ad2e50ab4b263505b4d2378ca; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <49bc7bf38e42cfa642787e947f5721696ea73ac3; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <65b3f76592aed5a43c4d79375ac097acf975972b; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <6a324d77f7ea1a91d55c4b6ad970e3ac9ab6a20d; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <a39cc43efc1bca74ed9d6cf9e60b995071f7d178; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <ccc28c0397f75a3ec9539cceed9db014d7b73869; version=39a53e0ce0df01b3cf4bb898c7ae2fd2189647d5 <f1b743c1955151bd392539b739a3ad155296be13

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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