CVE-2025-38584

Local privilege escalation via padata reference-count race

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel padata subsystem allows local users to escalate privileges or crash the kernel via a race. padata_reorder releases the serial-queue lock after enqueueing a padata item, allowing padata_serial_worker to drop the last pd reference before the reorder path finishes using it. An unprivileged user can drive pcrypt AEAD requests through AF_ALG, but the race also requires concurrent padata replacement through privileged CPU-hotplug, sysfs, or netlink activity; success permits kernel-memory corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a kernel panic.

CVSS severity7.0
High
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

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel padata subsystem allows local users to escalate privileges or crash the kernel via a race. padata_reorder releases the serial-queue lock after enqueueing a padata item, allowing padata_serial_worker to drop the last pd reference before the reorder path finishes using it. An unprivileged user can drive pcrypt AEAD requests through AF_ALG, but the race also requires concurrent padata replacement through privileged CPU-hotplug, sysfs, or netlink activity; success permits kernel-memory corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38584
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <609e59193fc6d9dd323f1c6ae1fdd721f1c79680
  2. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <71203f68c7749609d7fc8ae6ad054bdedeb24f91
  3. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <73f132e60857038416540c3599b1de6033d7575a
  4. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <a11a12a9880ab37342b73c93cfe1a3ada02ff0db
  5. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <a2048e475e22b13dc3e53d485b7e6e11464ed9a6
  6. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <cdf79bd2e1ecb3cc75631c73d8f4149be6019a52
  7. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <dbe3e911a59bda6de96e7cae387ff882c2c177fa
  8. Affected versionversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <f231d5d001ec75f5886c02d496a4c79edc383d45
  9. Affected versionversion=2.6.34

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <609e59193fc6d9dd323f1c6ae1fdd721f1c79680; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <71203f68c7749609d7fc8ae6ad054bdedeb24f91; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <73f132e60857038416540c3599b1de6033d7575a; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <a11a12a9880ab37342b73c93cfe1a3ada02ff0db; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <a2048e475e22b13dc3e53d485b7e6e11464ed9a6; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <cdf79bd2e1ecb3cc75631c73d8f4149be6019a52; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <dbe3e911a59bda6de96e7cae387ff882c2c177fa; version=16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300 <f231d5d001ec75f5886c02d496a4c79edc383d45; version=2.6.34

Published CVSS scores

7.0Linux kernel CVE teamCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

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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-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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