Kernel memory disclosure via freed receive-queue anchor
Published Aug 22, 2025 · Updated Aug 27, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in Linux kTLS allows local users to disclose kernel memory by consuming a socket receive queue. The receive parser can retain an anchor to a freed socket buffer when an out-of-band reader removes data beneath the TLS ULP, then decrypt up to a record length beyond valid data. An unprivileged local process can deterministically trigger the path on its own established socket, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, stream corruption, or a kernel panic.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in Linux kTLS allows local users to disclose kernel memory by consuming a socket receive queue. The receive parser can retain an anchor to a freed socket buffer when an out-of-band reader removes data beneath the TLS ULP, then decrypt up to a record length beyond valid data. An unprivileged local process can deterministically trigger the path on its own established socket, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, stream corruption, or a kernel panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38616
- Published
- Aug 22, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 27, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-125, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 22, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 27, 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.0
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <2fb97ed9e2672b4f6e24ce206ac1a875ce4bcb38
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <6db015fc4b5d5f63a64a193f65d98da3a7fc811d
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <db3658a12d5ec4db7185ae7476151a50521b7207
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <eb0336f213fe88bbdb7d2b19c9c9ec19245a3155
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <ef50eaab631f9bf519ddbdfa42ccb0528adc1fc8
- Affected versionversion=84c61fe1a75b4255df1e1e7c054c9e6d048da417 <f1fe99919f629f980d0b8a7ff16950bffe06a859
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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