CVE-2025-38416

Local privilege escalation via NCI UART race

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NFC NCI UART code from 4.2 allows local users to escalate privileges through a tty race. The NCIUARTSETDRIVER ioctl exposes tty->disc_data before device opening and module reference acquisition succeed, so receive processing can dereference a freed nci_uart object. An unprivileged process can control both sides through a pseudo-terminal when the NFC UART modules are resident, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, control-flow hijack, or a panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel NFC NCI UART code from 4.2 allows local users to escalate privileges through a tty race. The NCIUARTSETDRIVER ioctl exposes tty->disc_data before device opening and module reference acquisition succeed, so receive processing can dereference a freed nci_uart object. An unprivileged process can control both sides through a pseudo-terminal when the NFC UART modules are resident, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, control-flow hijack, or a panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38416
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
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

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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=4.2
  2. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <000bfbc6bc334a93fffca8f5aa9583e7b6356cb5
  3. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <55c3dbd8389636161090a2b2b6d2d709b9602e9c
  4. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <a514fca2b8e95838a3ba600f31a18fa60b76d893
  5. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <a8acc7080ad55c5402a1b818b3008998247dda87
  6. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <ac6992f72bd8e22679c1e147ac214de6a7093c23
  7. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <dc7722619a9c307e9938d735cf4a2210d3d48dcb
  8. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <e9799db771b2d574d5bf0dfb3177485e5f40d4d6
  9. Affected versionversion=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <fc27ab48904ceb7e4792f0c400f1ef175edf16fe

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.2; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <000bfbc6bc334a93fffca8f5aa9583e7b6356cb5; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <55c3dbd8389636161090a2b2b6d2d709b9602e9c; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <a514fca2b8e95838a3ba600f31a18fa60b76d893; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <a8acc7080ad55c5402a1b818b3008998247dda87; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <ac6992f72bd8e22679c1e147ac214de6a7093c23; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <dc7722619a9c307e9938d735cf4a2210d3d48dcb; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <e9799db771b2d574d5bf0dfb3177485e5f40d4d6; version=9961127d4bce6325e9a0b0fb105e0c85a6c62cb7 <fc27ab48904ceb7e4792f0c400f1ef175edf16fe

Published CVSS scores

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

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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