CVE-2025-38431

Backup failures via rejected native SMB symlinks

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper symlink handling in the Linux kernel SMB client 6.14 through 6.15.4 allows local users to interrupt backup and copy operations. The smb2_parse_native_symlink function returns EIO when an absolute native SMB symlink target cannot be converted from NT format, even when the link is not followed. Triggering the failure requires access to an SMB-mounted directory containing such an unhandled symlink target; the consequence is limited to failed metadata, backup, or copy operations.

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

Improper symlink handling in the Linux kernel SMB client 6.14 through 6.15.4 allows local users to interrupt backup and copy operations. The smb2_parse_native_symlink function returns EIO when an absolute native SMB symlink target cannot be converted from NT format, even when the link is not followed. Triggering the failure requires access to an SMB-mounted directory containing such an unhandled symlink target; the consequence is limited to failed metadata, backup, or copy operations.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38431
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=12b466eb52d926802b6898d2cb7e67386467f54a <6ddaf7567080c7de2e0c99efca2ee1e6b79beea5
  2. Affected versionversion=12b466eb52d926802b6898d2cb7e67386467f54a <ff8abbd248c1f52df0c321690b88454b13ff54b2
  3. Affected versionversion=6.14

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=12b466eb52d926802b6898d2cb7e67386467f54a <6ddaf7567080c7de2e0c99efca2ee1e6b79beea5; version=12b466eb52d926802b6898d2cb7e67386467f54a <ff8abbd248c1f52df0c321690b88454b13ff54b2; version=6.14

Published CVSS scores

5.5Oracle LinuxCVSS: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.

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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