CVE-2025-38260

Kernel crash via skipped checksum-tree error handling

Published Jul 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux Btrfs allows local users to crash the kernel by reading a corrupted filesystem after a rescue mount. During load_global_roots_objectid(), a read_tree_root_path() failure leaves ret at zero, skips BTRFS_FS_STATE_NO_DATA_CSUMS, and permits btrfs_lookup_csum() to use a NULL checksum root. Reaching the fault requires local access, a corrupted Btrfs checksum-tree root, a read-only rescue=ibadroots mount, and a subsequent data read.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
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 allows local users to crash the kernel by reading a corrupted filesystem after a rescue mount. During load_global_roots_objectid(), a read_tree_root_path() failure leaves ret at zero, skips BTRFS_FS_STATE_NO_DATA_CSUMS, and permits btrfs_lookup_csum() to use a NULL checksum root. Reaching the fault requires local access, a corrupted Btrfs checksum-tree root, a read-only rescue=ibadroots mount, and a subsequent data read.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38260
Published
Jul 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
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=5.17
  2. Affected versionversion=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <3f5c4a996f8f4fecd24a3eb344a307c50af895c2
  3. Affected versionversion=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <547e836661554dcfa15c212a3821664e85b4191a
  4. Affected versionversion=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <bbe9231fe611a54a447962494472f604419bad59
  5. Affected versionversion=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <f8ce11903211542a61f05c02caedd2edfb4256b8
  6. Affected versionversion=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <fc97a116dc4929905538bc0bd3af7faa51192957

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.17; version=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <3f5c4a996f8f4fecd24a3eb344a307c50af895c2; version=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <547e836661554dcfa15c212a3821664e85b4191a; version=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <bbe9231fe611a54a447962494472f604419bad59; version=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <f8ce11903211542a61f05c02caedd2edfb4256b8; version=abed4aaae4f71a7bcdbe90a65319b6e772a2689d <fc97a116dc4929905538bc0bd3af7faa51192957

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS: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
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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