CVE-2025-38586

Kernel crash via uninitialized BPF frame pointer

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Kernel memory corruption in the ARM64 BPF JIT in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted BPF program. Exception-boundary programs bypass find_used_callee_regs(), leaving ctx->fp_used false even when the frame pointer is used, so the prologue does not initialize it. Loading the trigger requires CAP_BPF, and execution can dereference the uninitialized pointer and page-fault the kernel.

CVSS severity7.8
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

Kernel memory corruption in the ARM64 BPF JIT in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted BPF program. Exception-boundary programs bypass find_used_callee_regs(), leaving ctx->fp_used false even when the frame pointer is used, so the prologue does not initialize it. Loading the trigger requires CAP_BPF, and execution can dereference the uninitialized pointer and page-fault the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38586
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <0dbef493cae7d451f740558665893c000adb2321
  2. Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <1ce30231e0a2c8c361ee5f8f7f265fc17130adce
  3. Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <b114fcee766d5101eada1aca7bb5fd0a86c89b35
  4. Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <e23184725dbb72d5d02940222eee36dbba2aa422
  5. Affected versionversion=6.12

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <0dbef493cae7d451f740558665893c000adb2321; version=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <1ce30231e0a2c8c361ee5f8f7f265fc17130adce; version=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <b114fcee766d5101eada1aca7bb5fd0a86c89b35; version=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <e23184725dbb72d5d02940222eee36dbba2aa422; version=6.12

Published CVSS scores

7.8LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5UbuntuCVSS: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

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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