CVE-2025-38574Network attack vector

Host crash via unchecked PPTP frame length

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use of uninitialized data in Linux kernel PPTP support allows remote attackers to crash the host via a short tunneled PPP frame. The pptp_xmit() path reads three protocol and LCP bytes from an skb without first ensuring that its linear data contains them, and a later skb_pull() can violate buffer length invariants. Reachability requires an active bridged PPP tunnel whose peer can supply undersized frames; the resulting kernel BUG can panic the host.

CVSS severity8.6
High
EPSS probability0.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use of uninitialized data in Linux kernel PPTP support allows remote attackers to crash the host via a short tunneled PPP frame. The pptp_xmit() path reads three protocol and LCP bytes from an skb without first ensuring that its linear data contains them, and a later skb_pull() can violate buffer length invariants. Reachability requires an active bridged PPP tunnel whose peer can supply undersized frames; the resulting kernel BUG can panic the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38574
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-908, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a04db0fd75cb6034fc27a56b67b3b8b9022a98c
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <26672f1679b143aa34fca0b6046b7fd0c184770d
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5005d24377378a20e5c0e53052fc4ebdcdcbc611
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <504cc4ab91073d2ac7404ad146139f86ecee7193
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5de7513f38f3c19c0610294ee478242bea356f8c
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <97b8c5d322c5c0038cac4bc56fdbe237d0be426f
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b7dcda76fd0615c0599c89f36873a6cd48e02dbb
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <de9c4861fb42f0cd72da844c3c34f692d5895b7b
  9. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ea99b88b1999ebcb24d5d3a6b7910030f40d3bba
  10. Affected versionversion=2.6.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1a04db0fd75cb6034fc27a56b67b3b8b9022a98c; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <26672f1679b143aa34fca0b6046b7fd0c184770d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5005d24377378a20e5c0e53052fc4ebdcdcbc611; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <504cc4ab91073d2ac7404ad146139f86ecee7193; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5de7513f38f3c19c0610294ee478242bea356f8c; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <97b8c5d322c5c0038cac4bc56fdbe237d0be426f; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b7dcda76fd0615c0599c89f36873a6cd48e02dbb; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <de9c4861fb42f0cd72da844c3c34f692d5895b7b; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ea99b88b1999ebcb24d5d3a6b7910030f40d3bba; version=2.6.12

Published CVSS scores

8.6Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-908Use of Uninitialized Resource
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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo