CVE-2025-38211Network attack vector

Kernel crash via premature RDMA work-object free

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel RDMA/iwcm subsystem allows attackers to crash the kernel during CM ID teardown. In drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c, dealloc_work_entries() frees a cm_id_private work object when the final CM ID reference is dropped inside that object's event handler, leaving the workqueue to access freed memory. The documented trigger repeatedly runs the nvme/061 blktests case over RDMA with the siw driver, and the bounded consequence is a KASAN-detected kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel RDMA/iwcm subsystem allows attackers to crash the kernel during CM ID teardown. In drivers/infiniband/core/iwcm.c, dealloc_work_entries() frees a cm_id_private work object when the final CM ID reference is dropped inside that object's event handler, leaving the workqueue to access freed memory. The documented trigger repeatedly runs the nvme/061 blktests case over RDMA with the siw driver, and the bounded consequence is a KASAN-detected kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38211
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

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=4.8
  2. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <013dcdf6f03bcedbaf1669e3db71c34a197715b2
  3. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <23a707bbcbea468eedb398832eeb7e8e0ceafd21
  4. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <3b4a50d733acad6831f6bd9288a76a80f70650ac
  5. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <6883b680e703c6b2efddb4e7a8d891ce1803d06b
  6. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <764c9f69beabef8bdc651a7746c59f7a340d104f
  7. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <78381dc8a6b61c9bb9987d37b4d671b99767c4a1
  8. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <bf7eff5e3a36c54bbe8aff7fd6dd7c07490b81c5
  9. Affected versionversion=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <fd960b5ddf4faf00da43babdd3acda68842e1f6a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.8; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <013dcdf6f03bcedbaf1669e3db71c34a197715b2; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <23a707bbcbea468eedb398832eeb7e8e0ceafd21; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <3b4a50d733acad6831f6bd9288a76a80f70650ac; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <6883b680e703c6b2efddb4e7a8d891ce1803d06b; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <764c9f69beabef8bdc651a7746c59f7a340d104f; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <78381dc8a6b61c9bb9987d37b4d671b99767c4a1; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <bf7eff5e3a36c54bbe8aff7fd6dd7c07490b81c5; version=59c68ac31e15ad09d2cb04734e3c8c544a95f8d4 <fd960b5ddf4faf00da43babdd3acda68842e1f6a

Published CVSS scores

9.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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