CVE-2025-38448

Local kernel crash via u_serial TTY race

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Affected Linux kernel releases starting with 3.5 allow local users to crash the kernel through a u_serial TTY wakeup race. gs_start_rx() and gs_start_tx() drop port_lock around usb_ep_queue(), permitting concurrent teardown to clear port.tty before tty_wakeup() dereferences it. Triggering requires local access to race USB gadget serial I/O against close or disconnect operations; the bounded consequence is an availability-only kernel crash.

CVSS severity6.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Affected Linux kernel releases starting with 3.5 allow local users to crash the kernel through a u_serial TTY wakeup race. gs_start_rx() and gs_start_tx() drop port_lock around usb_ep_queue(), permitting concurrent teardown to clear port.tty before tty_wakeup() dereferences it. Triggering requires local access to race USB gadget serial I/O against close or disconnect operations; the bounded consequence is an availability-only kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38448
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-362, T1499
Attack vector
local
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

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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=3.5
  2. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <18d58a467ccf011078352d91b4d6a0108c7318e8
  3. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <a5012673d49788f16bb4e375b002d7743eb642d9
  4. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <abf3620cba68e0e51e5c21054ce4f925f75b3661
  5. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c529c3730bd09115684644e26bf01ecbd7e2c2c9
  6. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c6eb4a05af3d0ba3bc4e8159287722fb9abc6359
  7. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c8c80a3a35c2e3488409de2d5376ef7e662a2bf5
  8. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <d43657b59f36e88289a6066f15bc9a80df5014eb
  9. Affected versionversion=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <ee8d688e2ba558f3bb8ac225113740be5f335417

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.5; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <18d58a467ccf011078352d91b4d6a0108c7318e8; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <a5012673d49788f16bb4e375b002d7743eb642d9; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <abf3620cba68e0e51e5c21054ce4f925f75b3661; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c529c3730bd09115684644e26bf01ecbd7e2c2c9; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c6eb4a05af3d0ba3bc4e8159287722fb9abc6359; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <c8c80a3a35c2e3488409de2d5376ef7e662a2bf5; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <d43657b59f36e88289a6066f15bc9a80df5014eb; version=35f95fd7f234d2b58803bab6f6ebd6bb988050a2 <ee8d688e2ba558f3bb8ac225113740be5f335417

Published CVSS scores

6.2OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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