CVE-2025-38735

Kernel panic via post-shutdown ethtool dereference

Published Sep 5, 2025 · Updated Sep 5, 2025

Denial of service in the Linux kernel gve driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through an ethtool operation. After gve_shutdown() dismantles DMA and driver structures without detaching the still-visible netdev, later ethtool dispatch dereferences freed or NULL pointers. Reachability requires local low-privileged access, a gve device, and the post-shutdown interval; successful triggering crashes the host during shutdown.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.17%
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

Denial of service in the Linux kernel gve driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic through an ethtool operation. After gve_shutdown() dismantles DMA and driver structures without detaching the still-visible netdev, later ethtool dispatch dereferences freed or NULL pointers. Reachability requires local low-privileged access, a gve device, and the post-shutdown interval; successful triggering crashes the host during shutdown.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38735
Published
Sep 5, 2025
Updated
Sep 5, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 5, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 5, 2025Record 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=5.17
  2. Affected versionversion=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <48a4e89d50e8ea52e800bc7865970b92fcf4647c
  3. Affected versionversion=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <75a9a46d67f46d608205888f9b34e315c1786345
  4. Affected versionversion=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <9d8a41e9a4ff83ff666de811e7f012167cdc00e9
  5. Affected versionversion=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <a7efffeecb881b4649fdc30de020ef910f35d646
  6. Affected versionversion=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <ba51d73408edf815cbaeab148625576c2dd90192

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.17; version=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <48a4e89d50e8ea52e800bc7865970b92fcf4647c; version=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <75a9a46d67f46d608205888f9b34e315c1786345; version=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <9d8a41e9a4ff83ff666de811e7f012167cdc00e9; version=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <a7efffeecb881b4649fdc30de020ef910f35d646; version=974365e518617c9ce917f61aacbba07e4bedcca0 <ba51d73408edf815cbaeab148625576c2dd90192

Published CVSS scores

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

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