CVE-2025-38569

Host crash via locked coherent DMA free

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel be2net driver allows local users to crash the host during SR-IOV VF creation. The be_cmd_set_mac_list() path calls dma_free_coherent() while spin_lock_bh is held, although coherent DMA memory must be freed with interrupts enabled. Reachability requires local access with privileges sufficient to create SR-IOV virtual functions on a be2net adapter; triggering the path causes a kernel BUG and service interruption.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel be2net driver allows local users to crash the host during SR-IOV VF creation. The be_cmd_set_mac_list() path calls dma_free_coherent() while spin_lock_bh is held, although coherent DMA memory must be freed with interrupts enabled. Reachability requires local access with privileges sufficient to create SR-IOV virtual functions on a be2net adapter; triggering the path causes a kernel BUG and service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38569
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <5a40f8af2ba1b9bdf46e2db10e8c9710538fbc63
  2. Affected versionversion=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <d5dc09ee5d74277bc47193fe28ce8703e229331b
  3. Affected versionversion=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <f4e4e0c4bc4d799d6fa39055acdbc3af066cd13e
  4. Affected versionversion=227a829c9067bf03b1967e7e0b1a6777fd57edef
  5. Affected versionversion=41d731e7920387ea13e2fb440a1e235686faeeb9 <c377ba2be9430d165a98e4b782902ed630bc7546
  6. Affected versionversion=4393452e6c0c027971ec9bcc9557f52e63db3f0a <46d44a23a3723a89deeb65b13cddb17f8d9f2700
  7. Affected versionversion=5.10.235 <5.10.241
  8. Affected versionversion=5.15.179 <5.15.190
  9. Affected versionversion=5.4.291 <5.4.297
  10. Affected versionversion=6.1.131 <6.1.148
  11. Affected versionversion=6.12.19 <6.12.42
  12. Affected versionversion=6.13.7 <6.14
  13. Affected versionversion=6.14
  14. Affected versionversion=6.6.83 <6.6.102
  15. Affected versionversion=671aaa17bd3153e25526934f92307169ce927b5e <f80b34ebc579216407b128e9d155bfcae875c30f
  16. Affected versionversion=797bb9439c0489bbea4b8808297ec7a569098667 <3697e37e012bbd2bb5a5b467689811ba097b2eff
  17. Affected versionversion=7cfae8627511361f90a1a22dfae556c3fbc5bd8d <975e73b9102d844a3dc3f091ad631c56145c8b4c
  18. Affected versionversion=fd1ef3b1bdd3fec683ebd19eb3acc6a2cb60b5c6 <0ddfe8b127ef1149fddccb79db6e6eaba7738e7d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <5a40f8af2ba1b9bdf46e2db10e8c9710538fbc63; version=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <d5dc09ee5d74277bc47193fe28ce8703e229331b; version=1a82d19ca2d6835904ee71e2d40fd331098f94a0 <f4e4e0c4bc4d799d6fa39055acdbc3af066cd13e; version=227a829c9067bf03b1967e7e0b1a6777fd57edef; version=41d731e7920387ea13e2fb440a1e235686faeeb9 <c377ba2be9430d165a98e4b782902ed630bc7546; version=4393452e6c0c027971ec9bcc9557f52e63db3f0a <46d44a23a3723a89deeb65b13cddb17f8d9f2700; version=5.10.235 <5.10.241; version=5.15.179 <5.15.190; version=5.4.291 <5.4.297; version=6.1.131 <6.1.148; version=6.12.19 <6.12.42; version=6.13.7 <6.14; version=6.14; version=6.6.83 <6.6.102; version=671aaa17bd3153e25526934f92307169ce927b5e <f80b34ebc579216407b128e9d155bfcae875c30f; version=797bb9439c0489bbea4b8808297ec7a569098667 <3697e37e012bbd2bb5a5b467689811ba097b2eff; version=7cfae8627511361f90a1a22dfae556c3fbc5bd8d <975e73b9102d844a3dc3f091ad631c56145c8b4c; version=fd1ef3b1bdd3fec683ebd19eb3acc6a2cb60b5c6 <0ddfe8b127ef1149fddccb79db6e6eaba7738e7d

Published CVSS scores

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.

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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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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