CVE-2025-38385

Kernel warning via premature NAPI teardown

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper resource release in Linux 5.17 through 6.16-rc4 allows physically proximate attackers to trigger a kernel warning. The lan78xx_disconnect path calls netif_napi_del while NAPI remains enabled, duplicating the safe teardown that unregister_netdev performs and reaching __netif_napi_del_locked in an invalid state. Exploitation requires physical control of a LAN78xx USB device and causes a warning; a panic occurs only where panic_on_warn is enabled.

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

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Improper resource release in Linux 5.17 through 6.16-rc4 allows physically proximate attackers to trigger a kernel warning. The lan78xx_disconnect path calls netif_napi_del while NAPI remains enabled, duplicating the safe teardown that unregister_netdev performs and reaching __netif_napi_del_locked in an invalid state. Exploitation requires physical control of a LAN78xx USB device and causes a warning; a panic occurs only where panic_on_warn is enabled.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38385
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-404
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 25, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

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=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <17a37b9a5dd945d86110838fb471e7139ba993a2
  3. Affected versionversion=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <510a6095d754df9d727f644ec5076b7929d6c9ea
  4. Affected versionversion=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <6c7ffc9af7186ed79403a3ffee9a1e5199fc7450
  5. Affected versionversion=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <7135056a49035597198280820c61b8c5dbe4a1d0
  6. Affected versionversion=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <968a419c95131e420f12bbdba19e96e2f6b071c4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.17; version=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <17a37b9a5dd945d86110838fb471e7139ba993a2; version=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <510a6095d754df9d727f644ec5076b7929d6c9ea; version=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <6c7ffc9af7186ed79403a3ffee9a1e5199fc7450; version=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <7135056a49035597198280820c61b8c5dbe4a1d0; version=ec4c7e12396b1a30fbacfa68425118f5b46ea878 <968a419c95131e420f12bbdba19e96e2f6b071c4

Published CVSS scores

2.1OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-404Improper Resource Shutdown or Release

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo