CVE-2025-38546

Local denial of service via leaked CLIP allocation

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the Linux kernel's ATM CLIP subsystem allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through paired ATM control ioctls. A race between ATMARP_MKIP and ATMARPD_CTRL lets atm_init_atmarp() clear vcc->push after clip_vcc is attached to vcc->user_back, so socket teardown cannot free the allocation. A local user with low privileges must issue the ioctl sequence; repetition consumes kernel memory and can interrupt service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Memory leak in the Linux kernel's ATM CLIP subsystem allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through paired ATM control ioctls. A race between ATMARP_MKIP and ATMARPD_CTRL lets atm_init_atmarp() clear vcc->push after clip_vcc is attached to vcc->user_back, so socket teardown cannot free the allocation. A local user with low privileges must issue the ioctl sequence; repetition consumes kernel memory and can interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38546
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499
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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0c17ff462d98c997d707ee5cf4e4a9b1b52b9d90
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1c075e88d5859a2c6b43b27e0e46fb281cef8039
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1fb9fb5a4b5cec2d56e26525ef8c519de858fa60
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2fb37ab3226606cbfc9b2b6f9e301b0b735734c5
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <62dba28275a9a3104d4e33595c7b3328d4032d8d
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9e4dbeee56f614e3f1e166e5d0655a999ea185ef
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9f771816f14da6d6157a8c30069091abf6b566fb
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <cb2e4a2f8f268d8fba6662f663a2e57846f14a8d
  9. Affected versionversion=2.6.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0c17ff462d98c997d707ee5cf4e4a9b1b52b9d90; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1c075e88d5859a2c6b43b27e0e46fb281cef8039; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1fb9fb5a4b5cec2d56e26525ef8c519de858fa60; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2fb37ab3226606cbfc9b2b6f9e301b0b735734c5; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <62dba28275a9a3104d4e33595c7b3328d4032d8d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9e4dbeee56f614e3f1e166e5d0655a999ea185ef; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9f771816f14da6d6157a8c30069091abf6b566fb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <cb2e4a2f8f268d8fba6662f663a2e57846f14a8d; version=2.6.12

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS: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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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