CVE-2025-38510

System hang via atomic-context vm-area lookup

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

A deadlock in Linux kernel KASAN reporting allows local users to hang the system by triggering an invalid-address report in softirq context. print_address_description() calls kasan_find_vm_area(), which invokes the lock-taking find_vm_area() operation in atomic context while another CPU holds the vmap-area lock. Low-privileged local access and a KASAN-enabled kernel are required; successful triggering blocks kernel progress rather than exposing or modifying data.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A deadlock in Linux kernel KASAN reporting allows local users to hang the system by triggering an invalid-address report in softirq context. print_address_description() calls kasan_find_vm_area(), which invokes the lock-taking find_vm_area() operation in atomic context while another CPU holds the vmap-area lock. Low-privileged local access and a KASAN-enabled kernel are required; successful triggering blocks kernel progress rather than exposing or modifying data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38510
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 16, 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=5.18
  2. Affected versionversion=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <0c3566d831def922cd56322c772a7b20d8b0e0c0
  3. Affected versionversion=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <2d89dab1ea6086e6cbe6fe92531b496fb6808cb9
  4. Affected versionversion=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <595f78d99b9051600233c0a5c4c47e1097e6ed01
  5. Affected versionversion=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <6ee9b3d84775944fb8c8a447961cd01274ac671c
  6. Affected versionversion=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <8377d7744bdce5c4b3f1b58924eebd3fdc078dfc

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.18; version=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <0c3566d831def922cd56322c772a7b20d8b0e0c0; version=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <2d89dab1ea6086e6cbe6fe92531b496fb6808cb9; version=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <595f78d99b9051600233c0a5c4c47e1097e6ed01; version=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <6ee9b3d84775944fb8c8a447961cd01274ac671c; version=c056a364e9546bd513d1f5205f0ee316d8acb910 <8377d7744bdce5c4b3f1b58924eebd3fdc078dfc

Published CVSS scores

6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NVDCVSS: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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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