CVE-2025-38202

Service interruption via incomplete RCU lock check

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Lock-state validation error in Linux allows local users to interrupt service through a sleepable BPF program when lookup is not inlined. The bpf_map_lookup_percpu_elem() path in kernel/bpf/helpers.c checks only the ordinary RCU read lock, although sleepable programs hold the trace RCU lock. The mismatch triggers a kernel warning when BPF JIT is disabled or on a 32-bit host, and low-privileged local access is required.

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

Lock-state validation error in Linux allows local users to interrupt service through a sleepable BPF program when lookup is not inlined. The bpf_map_lookup_percpu_elem() path in kernel/bpf/helpers.c checks only the ordinary RCU read lock, although sleepable programs hold the trace RCU lock. The mismatch triggers a kernel warning when BPF JIT is disabled or on a 32-bit host, and low-privileged local access is required.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38202
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 4, 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=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <2d834477bbc1e8b8a59ff8b0c081529d6bed7b22
  2. Affected versionversion=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <2f8c69a72e8ad87b36b8052f789da3cc2b2e186c
  3. Affected versionversion=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <7bf4461f1c97207fda757014690d55a447ce859f
  4. Affected versionversion=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <b522d4d334f206284b1a44b0b0b2f99fd443b39b
  5. Affected versionversion=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <d4965578267e2e81f67c86e2608481e77e9c8569
  6. Affected versionversion=5.19

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <2d834477bbc1e8b8a59ff8b0c081529d6bed7b22; version=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <2f8c69a72e8ad87b36b8052f789da3cc2b2e186c; version=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <7bf4461f1c97207fda757014690d55a447ce859f; version=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <b522d4d334f206284b1a44b0b0b2f99fd443b39b; version=07343110b293456d30393e89b86c4dee1ac051c8 <d4965578267e2e81f67c86e2608481e77e9c8569; version=5.19

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5UbuntuCVSS: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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 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.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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