CVE-2025-38243

Kernel crash via invalid inode pointer dereference

Published Jul 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux btrfs 6.15 through 6.15.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during log replay. The tree-log.c replay paths accept a NULL result from read_one_inode() and then pass the invalid embedded vfs_inode address to iput(). Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a replay path that returns a missing inode; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

NULL pointer dereference in Linux btrfs 6.15 through 6.15.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during log replay. The tree-log.c replay paths accept a NULL result from read_one_inode() and then pass the invalid embedded vfs_inode address to iput(). Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and a replay path that returns a missing inode; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38243
Published
Jul 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1529
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 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=0502d1127436a69b8c2e7cf309ae0ebff3332668 <401d098f92ea69d8a75f8b845daf343e511681ba
  2. Affected versionversion=6.15
  3. Affected versionversion=b4c50cbb01a1b6901d2b94469636dd80fa93de81 <2dcf838cf5c2f0f4501edaa1680fcad03618d760
  4. Affected versionversion=b4c50cbb01a1b6901d2b94469636dd80fa93de81 <ba8386d662cc51cc5382688bbf7a152b0b0b27cf

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0502d1127436a69b8c2e7cf309ae0ebff3332668 <401d098f92ea69d8a75f8b845daf343e511681ba; version=6.15; version=b4c50cbb01a1b6901d2b94469636dd80fa93de81 <2dcf838cf5c2f0f4501edaa1680fcad03618d760; version=b4c50cbb01a1b6901d2b94469636dd80fa93de81 <ba8386d662cc51cc5382688bbf7a152b0b0b27cf

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.

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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
T1529System Shutdown/Reboot

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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