CVE-2025-38197

Kernel crash via misbased packet-list traversal

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel releases beginning with 5.7 allows local users to crash the kernel through dell_rbu sysfs. The packet_read_list() and packet_empty_list() loops pass the first list element instead of packet_data_head.list as the list head, so traversal begins at the wrong packet and clearing eventually dereferences NULL. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to the Dell Remote BIOS Update sysfs interface; packet reads return incorrect data, while clearing the list crashes the kernel.

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

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel releases beginning with 5.7 allows local users to crash the kernel through dell_rbu sysfs. The packet_read_list() and packet_empty_list() loops pass the first list element instead of packet_data_head.list as the list head, so traversal begins at the wrong packet and clearing eventually dereferences NULL. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to the Dell Remote BIOS Update sysfs interface; packet reads return incorrect data, while clearing the list crashes the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38197
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
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=5.7
  2. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <07d7b8e7ef7d1f812a6211ed531947c56d09e95e
  3. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <32d05e6cc3a7bf6c8f16f7b7ef8fe80eca0c233e
  4. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <4d71f2c1e5263a9f042faa71d59515709869dc79
  5. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <5e8c658acd1b7c186aeffa46bf08795e121f401a
  6. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <61ce04601e0d8265ec6d2ffa6df5a7e1bce64854
  7. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <a7b477b64ef5e37cb08dd536ae07c46f9f28262e
  8. Affected versionversion=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <f3b840fb1508a80cd8a0efb5c886ae1995a88b24

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.7; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <07d7b8e7ef7d1f812a6211ed531947c56d09e95e; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <32d05e6cc3a7bf6c8f16f7b7ef8fe80eca0c233e; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <4d71f2c1e5263a9f042faa71d59515709869dc79; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <5e8c658acd1b7c186aeffa46bf08795e121f401a; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <61ce04601e0d8265ec6d2ffa6df5a7e1bce64854; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <a7b477b64ef5e37cb08dd536ae07c46f9f28262e; version=d19f359fbdc6b5d49e9b9a0db27a996b28a2ded3 <f3b840fb1508a80cd8a0efb5c886ae1995a88b24

Published CVSS scores

7.0Oracle LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3Linux kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/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
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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