CVE-2025-38177

System interruption via repeated HFSC cleanup

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Improper cleanup in the HFSC scheduler in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to interrupt system availability. hfsc_qlen_notify() repeatedly calls update_vf() after the active count has been reduced and removes an already-removed red-black-tree node without checking or clearing its state. Low-privileged local access is required, and the affected scheduler must traverse a repeated queue-length notification path.

CVSS severity7.3
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

Improper cleanup in the HFSC scheduler in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to interrupt system availability. hfsc_qlen_notify() repeatedly calls update_vf() after the active count has been reduced and removes an already-removed red-black-tree node without checking or clearing its state. Low-privileged local access is required, and the affected scheduler must traverse a repeated queue-length notification path.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38177
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-459, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 4, 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=4.14
  2. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <0475c85426b18eccdcb7f9fb58d8f8e9c6c58c87
  3. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <51eb3b65544c9efd6a1026889ee5fb5aa62da3bb
  4. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <72c61ffbeeb8c50f6d4d70c65d3283aa1bac57a7
  5. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <9030a91235ae4845ec71902c3e0cecfc9ed1f2df
  6. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <9a5fd5c2f4d4afdd5e405083ee53e0789ce76956
  7. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <a5efc95a33bd4fcb879250852828cc58c7862970
  8. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <c1175c4ad01dbc9c979d099861fa90a754f72059
  9. Affected versionversion=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <d06476714d2819b550e0cc39222347e2c8941c9d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.14; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <0475c85426b18eccdcb7f9fb58d8f8e9c6c58c87; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <51eb3b65544c9efd6a1026889ee5fb5aa62da3bb; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <72c61ffbeeb8c50f6d4d70c65d3283aa1bac57a7; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <9030a91235ae4845ec71902c3e0cecfc9ed1f2df; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <9a5fd5c2f4d4afdd5e405083ee53e0789ce76956; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <a5efc95a33bd4fcb879250852828cc58c7862970; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <c1175c4ad01dbc9c979d099861fa90a754f72059; version=959466588aa7f84ccf79ae36a1d89542eaf9aaec <d06476714d2819b550e0cc39222347e2c8941c9d

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.3CanonicalCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-459Incomplete Cleanup
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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