CVE-2025-38412

Kernel disclosure and panic via WMI type confusion

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Type confusion in Linux dell-wmi-sysman allows local users to disclose kernel memory or panic the system through sysfs reads. Sysfs callbacks interpret firmware-supplied Integer, String, Buffer, or short Package objects as full ACPI packages and dereference their elements without validating the object type or length. Any local account can read the world-readable is_enabled attribute; affected Dell or Alienware firmware must return a malformed WMI data block, after which the read exposes kernel bytes or causes an oops or panic.

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

Type confusion in Linux dell-wmi-sysman allows local users to disclose kernel memory or panic the system through sysfs reads. Sysfs callbacks interpret firmware-supplied Integer, String, Buffer, or short Package objects as full ACPI packages and dereference their elements without validating the object type or length. Any local account can read the world-readable is_enabled attribute; affected Dell or Alienware firmware must return a malformed WMI data block, after which the read exposes kernel bytes or causes an oops or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38412
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 25, 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

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=5.11
  2. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <0deb3eb78ebf225cb41aa9b2b2150f46cbfd359e
  3. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <5df3b870bc389a1767c72448a3ce1c576ef4deab
  4. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <68e9963583d11963ceca5d276e9c44684509f759
  5. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <92c2d914b5337431d885597a79a3a3d9d55e80b7
  6. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <aaf847dcb4114fe8b25d4c1c790bedcb6088cb3d
  7. Affected versionversion=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <eb617dd25ca176f3fee24f873f0fd60010773d67

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.11; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <0deb3eb78ebf225cb41aa9b2b2150f46cbfd359e; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <5df3b870bc389a1767c72448a3ce1c576ef4deab; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <68e9963583d11963ceca5d276e9c44684509f759; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <92c2d914b5337431d885597a79a3a3d9d55e80b7; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <aaf847dcb4114fe8b25d4c1c790bedcb6088cb3d; version=e8a60aa7404bfef37705da5607c97737073ac38d <eb617dd25ca176f3fee24f873f0fd60010773d67

Published CVSS scores

6.1Oracle LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
7.8LinuxCVSS: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.

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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

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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