CVE-2025-38689

Local kernel crash via AVX-512 status read

Published Sep 4, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.16 allows local users to crash the kernel by reading a kernel thread's arch_status file. In avx512_status(), AVX-512 timestamp reporting calls x86_task_fpu() for a kernel thread and dereferences the returned NULL pointer. Reachability requires an x86 kernel built with CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU; the resulting kernel fault can interrupt the host.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.14%
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 Linux kernel 6.16 allows local users to crash the kernel by reading a kernel thread's arch_status file. In avx512_status(), AVX-512 timestamp reporting calls x86_task_fpu() for a kernel thread and dereferences the returned NULL pointer. Reachability requires an x86 kernel built with CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU; the resulting kernel fault can interrupt the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38689
Published
Sep 4, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 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=22aafe3bcb67472effdea1ccf0df20280192bbaf <2ca887e81095b99d890a8878841f36f4920181e6
  2. Affected versionversion=22aafe3bcb67472effdea1ccf0df20280192bbaf <31cd31c9e17ece125aad27259501a2af69ccb020
  3. Affected versionversion=6.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=22aafe3bcb67472effdea1ccf0df20280192bbaf <2ca887e81095b99d890a8878841f36f4920181e6; version=22aafe3bcb67472effdea1ccf0df20280192bbaf <31cd31c9e17ece125aad27259501a2af69ccb020; version=6.16

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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 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

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

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Your stack

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