CVE-2025-38233

Kernel crash via unrestored livepatch register

Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Kernel fault in Linux 6.13 through 6.15.3 allows local users to crash powerpc64 systems during ftrace livepatching. The powerpc64 ftrace_entry.S livepatch path leaves r15 clobbered under PPC_FTRACE_OUT_OF_LINE instead of restoring the saved register. Reachability requires a powerpc64 kernel using out-of-line ftrace and the livepatch sequence; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel Oops.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Kernel fault in Linux 6.13 through 6.15.3 allows local users to crash powerpc64 systems during ftrace livepatching. The powerpc64 ftrace_entry.S livepatch path leaves r15 clobbered under PPC_FTRACE_OUT_OF_LINE instead of restoring the saved register. Reachability requires a powerpc64 kernel using out-of-line ftrace and the livepatch sequence; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel Oops.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38233
Published
Jul 4, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=6.13
  2. Affected versionversion=eec37961a56aa4f3fe1c33ffd48eec7d1bb0c009 <a9212bf5ca640232254b31330e86272fe4073bc9
  3. Affected versionversion=eec37961a56aa4f3fe1c33ffd48eec7d1bb0c009 <cb5b691f8273432297611863ac142e17119279e0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.13; version=eec37961a56aa4f3fe1c33ffd48eec7d1bb0c009 <a9212bf5ca640232254b31330e86272fe4073bc9; version=eec37961a56aa4f3fe1c33ffd48eec7d1bb0c009 <cb5b691f8273432297611863ac142e17119279e0

Published CVSS scores

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.

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

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

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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