CVE-2025-38532

Kernel crash via stale Rx ring descriptors

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Improper Rx ring reset handling in Linux 6.3 through 6.16-rc6 allows local users with CAP_NET_ADMIN to crash the kernel. The libwx reset path clears only rx_desc[0].length, leaving stale DD and EOP status in the hardware ring so wx_clean_rx_irq builds a malformed socket buffer. Triggering a supported ethtool feature change on a Wangxun interface resets the ring; the next received frame can cause out-of-bounds kernel memory access, corruption, and a kernel panic.

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

Improper Rx ring reset handling in Linux 6.3 through 6.16-rc6 allows local users with CAP_NET_ADMIN to crash the kernel. The libwx reset path clears only rx_desc[0].length, leaving stale DD and EOP status in the hardware ring so wx_clean_rx_irq builds a malformed socket buffer. Triggering a supported ethtool feature change on a Wangxun interface resets the ring; the next received frame can cause out-of-bounds kernel memory access, corruption, and a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38532
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 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. 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=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <10e27b2a6ebeda49e9c2897a699d3ce1ded565ee
  2. Affected versionversion=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <d510116c80b37efb100ce8d5ee326214b0157293
  3. Affected versionversion=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <d992ed7e1b687ad7df0763d3e015a5358646210b
  4. Affected versionversion=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <ee527d3fba4dae1d619d2d0438624002c8e99e24
  5. Affected versionversion=6.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <10e27b2a6ebeda49e9c2897a699d3ce1ded565ee; version=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <d510116c80b37efb100ce8d5ee326214b0157293; version=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <d992ed7e1b687ad7df0763d3e015a5358646210b; version=3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd <ee527d3fba4dae1d619d2d0438624002c8e99e24; version=6.3

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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 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

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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