CVE-2025-38189

Kernel panic via freed V3D state dereference

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernels beginning with 6.8 allows local users to panic the kernel by closing a V3D file descriptor early. v3d_job_update_stats() updates per-file GPU statistics after v3d_file_priv has been freed when a descriptor closes before its submitted jobs finish. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to the V3D device and winning that completion race; success crashes the host with a fatal kernel exception.

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

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernels beginning with 6.8 allows local users to panic the kernel by closing a V3D file descriptor early. v3d_job_update_stats() updates per-file GPU statistics after v3d_file_priv has been freed when a descriptor closes before its submitted jobs finish. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to the V3D device and winning that completion race; success crashes the host with a fatal kernel exception.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38189
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, 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=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <4f4701489d0f768a232b10d281491184f34bacf0
  2. Affected versionversion=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <c886784000934d5486621106da0614c85bcd76a8
  3. Affected versionversion=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <e1bc3a13bd775791cca0bb144d977b00f3598042
  4. Affected versionversion=6.8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <4f4701489d0f768a232b10d281491184f34bacf0; version=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <c886784000934d5486621106da0614c85bcd76a8; version=09a93cc4f7d1893777f6b788bffe60d64e4d5df7 <e1bc3a13bd775791cca0bb144d977b00f3598042; version=6.8

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5NISTCVSS: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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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