CVE-2025-38271

Local system crash via rtnl_create_link NULL dereference

Published Jul 10, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux 6.15 through 6.15.2 allows local users to crash the system through a crafted RTM_NEWLINK request. During rtnl_create_link(), dev->netdev_ops is still NULL, but dev_set_group() invokes netdev_lock_ops() and dereferences it. Reachability requires a CONFIG_NET_SHAPER-enabled kernel and local permission to create a network link; the reported consequence is a kernel crash, not data access or modification.

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 6.15 through 6.15.2 allows local users to crash the system through a crafted RTM_NEWLINK request. During rtnl_create_link(), dev->netdev_ops is still NULL, but dev_set_group() invokes netdev_lock_ops() and dereferences it. Reachability requires a CONFIG_NET_SHAPER-enabled kernel and local permission to create a network link; the reported consequence is a kernel crash, not data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38271
Published
Jul 10, 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 10, 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=6.15
  2. Affected versionversion=7e4d784f5810bba76c4593791028e13cce4af547 <8a29ae8428a5c26f0b4471c2057d9e9415c53109
  3. Affected versionversion=7e4d784f5810bba76c4593791028e13cce4af547 <feafc73f3e6ae73371777a037d41d2e31c929636

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.15; version=7e4d784f5810bba76c4593791028e13cce4af547 <8a29ae8428a5c26f0b4471c2057d9e9415c53109; version=7e4d784f5810bba76c4593791028e13cce4af547 <feafc73f3e6ae73371777a037d41d2e31c929636

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS: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.

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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