CVE-2025-38262

Kernel panic via concurrent UARTLite probing

Published Jul 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

A probe-time race in the Linux kernel UARTLite driver allows local users on affected embedded systems to crash the kernel. During concurrent device probes, one thread can bypass uart_register_driver while another has allocated uart_state but has not finished driver initialization, so ulite_assign passes incomplete state to uart_add_one_port. Reachability requires two UARTLite instances to probe within the initialization window; the documented consequence is a null-pointer panic during kernel startup or device binding.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A probe-time race in the Linux kernel UARTLite driver allows local users on affected embedded systems to crash the kernel. During concurrent device probes, one thread can bypass uart_register_driver while another has allocated uart_state but has not finished driver initialization, so ulite_assign passes incomplete state to uart_add_one_port. Reachability requires two UARTLite instances to probe within the initialization window; the documented consequence is a null-pointer panic during kernel startup or device binding.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38262
Published
Jul 9, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 9, 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=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <5015eed450005bab6e5cb6810f7a62eab0434fc4
  2. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <685d29f2c5057b32c7b1b46f2a7d303b926c8f72
  3. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <6bd697b5fc39fd24e2aa418c7b7d14469f550a93
  4. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <6db06aaea07bb7c8e33a425cf7b98bf29ee6056e
  5. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <8e958d10dd0ce5ae674cce460db5c9ca3f25243b
  6. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <9c905fdbba68a6d73d39a6b7de9b9f0d6c46df87
  7. Affected versionversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <f5e4229d94792b40e750f30c92bcf7a3107c72ef
  8. Affected versionversion=2.6.20

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <5015eed450005bab6e5cb6810f7a62eab0434fc4; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <685d29f2c5057b32c7b1b46f2a7d303b926c8f72; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <6bd697b5fc39fd24e2aa418c7b7d14469f550a93; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <6db06aaea07bb7c8e33a425cf7b98bf29ee6056e; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <8e958d10dd0ce5ae674cce460db5c9ca3f25243b; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <9c905fdbba68a6d73d39a6b7de9b9f0d6c46df87; version=238b8721a554a33a451a3f13bdb5be8fe5cfc927 <f5e4229d94792b40e750f30c92bcf7a3107c72ef; version=2.6.20

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS: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

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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

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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