CVE-2025-38203

Local system crash via JFS trim race

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Sep 2, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel JFS module allows local users to crash the system through a crafted trim ioctl race. During concurrent JFS operations, dbFreeBits can clear the superblock bmap pointer while jfs_ioc_trim subsequently dereferences it without synchronization. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged ioctl access to a mounted JFS filesystem; successful triggering causes a kernel panic and service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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 the Linux kernel JFS module allows local users to crash the system through a crafted trim ioctl race. During concurrent JFS operations, dbFreeBits can clear the superblock bmap pointer while jfs_ioc_trim subsequently dereferences it without synchronization. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged ioctl access to a mounted JFS filesystem; successful triggering causes a kernel panic and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38203
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Sep 2, 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. Sep 2, 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=3.7
  2. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <0d50231d473f89024158dc62624930de45d13718
  3. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <233340626cf1b1887dca181f9f811db60c73f802
  4. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <4a2de0f5b8d7f218bea5bd43d30b466e8b272b8d
  5. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <4a8cb9908b51500a76f5156423bd295df53bff89
  6. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <9806ae34d7d661c372247cd36f83bfa0523d60ed
  7. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a39f811a9f5edb6d97bede8e6fe730393d3c8537
  8. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a4685408ff6c3e2af366ad9a7274f45ff3f394ee
  9. Affected versionversion=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a9d41c925069c950e18160e12a7e10e0f58c56fb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.7; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <0d50231d473f89024158dc62624930de45d13718; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <233340626cf1b1887dca181f9f811db60c73f802; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <4a2de0f5b8d7f218bea5bd43d30b466e8b272b8d; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <4a8cb9908b51500a76f5156423bd295df53bff89; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <9806ae34d7d661c372247cd36f83bfa0523d60ed; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a39f811a9f5edb6d97bede8e6fe730393d3c8537; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a4685408ff6c3e2af366ad9a7274f45ff3f394ee; version=b40c2e665cd552eae5fbdbb878bc29a34357668e <a9d41c925069c950e18160e12a7e10e0f58c56fb

Published CVSS scores

4.7SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.7SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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