CVE-2025-38449

System crash via premature GEM handle release

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux kernel DRM GEM allows local users to crash affected systems through framebuffer mode-setting operations. Framebuffer creation fails to retain each GEM handle, so closing a handle prematurely releases its dma-buf while the framebuffer still references it. Access to a DRM primary device node and a subsequent page flip or atomic commit are required; shadow-plane drivers expose the failure most readily.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
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 Linux kernel DRM GEM allows local users to crash affected systems through framebuffer mode-setting operations. Framebuffer creation fails to retain each GEM handle, so closing a handle prematurely releases its dma-buf while the framebuffer still references it. Access to a DRM primary device node and a subsequent page flip or atomic commit are required; shadow-plane drivers expose the failure most readily.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38449
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499.004
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=3.12
  2. Affected versionversion=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <08480e285c6a82ce689008d643e4a51db0aaef8b
  3. Affected versionversion=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <3cf520d9860d4ec9f7f32068825da31f18dd3f25
  4. Affected versionversion=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <5307dce878d4126e1b375587318955bd019c3741
  5. Affected versionversion=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <cb4c956a15f8b7f870649454771fc3761f504b5f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.12; version=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <08480e285c6a82ce689008d643e4a51db0aaef8b; version=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <3cf520d9860d4ec9f7f32068825da31f18dd3f25; version=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <5307dce878d4126e1b375587318955bd019c3741; version=319c933c71f3dbdb2b3274d1634d3494c70efa06 <cb4c956a15f8b7f870649454771fc3761f504b5f

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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