CVE-2025-38208

Kernel crash via unchecked SMB automount page

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel SMB client allows local users to crash the kernel during automount path construction. When tcon->origin_fullpath is set, automount_fullpath continues with a NULL page because it omits the check used by __build_path_from_dentry_optional_prefix. A local low-privileged user must reach SMB automount path handling; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.

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

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel SMB client allows local users to crash the kernel during automount path construction. When tcon->origin_fullpath is set, automount_fullpath continues with a NULL page because it omits the check used by __build_path_from_dentry_optional_prefix. A local low-privileged user must reach SMB automount path handling; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38208
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
May 23, 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. May 23, 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=6.2.13 <6.3
  2. Affected versionversion=6.3
  3. Affected versionversion=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <37166d63e42c34846a16001950ecec96229a8d17
  4. Affected versionversion=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <a9e916fa5c7d0ec2256aa44aa24ddd92f529ce35
  5. Affected versionversion=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <cce8e71ca1f7ad9045707f0d22490c1e9ed1df6c
  6. Affected versionversion=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <f1e7a277a1736e12cc4bd6d93b8a5c439b8ca20c
  7. Affected versionversion=e91802036b3e6e6e803a17ddf5783a6354fe5380

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.2.13 <6.3; version=6.3; version=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <37166d63e42c34846a16001950ecec96229a8d17; version=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <a9e916fa5c7d0ec2256aa44aa24ddd92f529ce35; version=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <cce8e71ca1f7ad9045707f0d22490c1e9ed1df6c; version=d5a863a153e90996ab2aef6b9e08d509f4d5662b <f1e7a277a1736e12cc4bd6d93b8a5c439b8ca20c; version=e91802036b3e6e6e803a17ddf5783a6354fe5380

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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