CVE-2025-38464

Local privilege escalation via unlocked TIPC connection teardown

Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel TIPC topology servers allows local users to escalate privileges during network-namespace teardown. tipc_topsrv_stop() drops the IDR lock without retaining a reference, allowing concurrent tipc_conn_recv_work() to release the last kref before tipc_conn_close() accesses the connection. Local users can race namespace teardown against subscription writes to corrupt kernel memory, escalate privileges, or panic the host.

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

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel TIPC topology servers allows local users to escalate privileges during network-namespace teardown. tipc_topsrv_stop() drops the IDR lock without retaining a reference, allowing concurrent tipc_conn_recv_work() to release the last kref before tipc_conn_close() accesses the connection. Local users can race namespace teardown against subscription writes to corrupt kernel memory, escalate privileges, or panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38464
Published
Jul 25, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, 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=3.11
  2. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <03dcdd2558e1e55bf843822fe4363dcb48743f2b
  3. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <15a6f4971e2f157d57e09ea748d1fbc714277aa4
  4. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <1dbf7cd2454a28b1da700085b99346b5445aeabb
  5. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <3b89e17b2fd64012682bed158d9eb3d2e96dec42
  6. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <50aa2d121bc2cfe2d825f8a331ea75dfaaab6a50
  7. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <667eeab4999e981c96b447a4df5f20bdf5c26f13
  8. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <be4b8392da7978294f2f368799d29dd509fb6c4d
  9. Affected versionversion=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <dab8ded2e5ff41012a6ff400b44dbe76ccf3592a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.11; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <03dcdd2558e1e55bf843822fe4363dcb48743f2b; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <15a6f4971e2f157d57e09ea748d1fbc714277aa4; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <1dbf7cd2454a28b1da700085b99346b5445aeabb; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <3b89e17b2fd64012682bed158d9eb3d2e96dec42; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <50aa2d121bc2cfe2d825f8a331ea75dfaaab6a50; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <667eeab4999e981c96b447a4df5f20bdf5c26f13; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <be4b8392da7978294f2f368799d29dd509fb6c4d; version=c5fa7b3cf3cb22e4ac60485fc2dc187fe012910f <dab8ded2e5ff41012a6ff400b44dbe76ccf3592a

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

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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