CVE-2025-38206

Host panic via exFAT cleanup double free

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Sep 2, 2026

Double free in the Linux kernel exFAT driver causes a host panic under panic_on_warn during cleanup of a failed filesystem mount. When exfat_load_default_upcase_table fails with ENOMEM, exfat_free_upcase_table frees vol_utbl but leaves its pointer non-NULL, so delayed_free frees it again during exfat_kill_sb cleanup. Reaching this path requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN in the initial user namespace and an ENOMEM condition outside attacker control, so reliable attacker-triggered interruption is not established.

CVSS severity7.8
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

Double free in the Linux kernel exFAT driver causes a host panic under panic_on_warn during cleanup of a failed filesystem mount. When exfat_load_default_upcase_table fails with ENOMEM, exfat_free_upcase_table frees vol_utbl but leaves its pointer non-NULL, so delayed_free frees it again during exfat_kill_sb cleanup. Reaching this path requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN in the initial user namespace and an ENOMEM condition outside attacker control, so reliable attacker-triggered interruption is not established.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38206
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Sep 2, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <13d8de1b6568dcc31a95534ced16bc0c9a67bc15
  2. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <1f3d9724e16d62c7d42c67d6613b8512f2887c22
  3. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <29abaf93357f4a7d083cf399d4306999e20db31d
  4. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <66e84439ec2af776ce749e8540f8fdd257774152
  5. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <ac65f76db9b2ff3fbc9e198c0e9aaf81b111b7d0
  6. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <d3cef0e7a5c1aa6217c51faa9ce8ecac35d6e1fd
  7. Affected versionversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <ea27703eb0efbadcd45b9949526160ed90536a72
  8. Affected versionversion=5.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <13d8de1b6568dcc31a95534ced16bc0c9a67bc15; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <1f3d9724e16d62c7d42c67d6613b8512f2887c22; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <29abaf93357f4a7d083cf399d4306999e20db31d; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <66e84439ec2af776ce749e8540f8fdd257774152; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <ac65f76db9b2ff3fbc9e198c0e9aaf81b111b7d0; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <d3cef0e7a5c1aa6217c51faa9ce8ecac35d6e1fd; version=1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 <ea27703eb0efbadcd45b9949526160ed90536a72; version=5.7

Published CVSS scores

7.8CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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