CVE-2025-38200
📋 TL;DR
A Linux kernel vulnerability in the i40e network driver allows integer underflow when processing specific device input, leading to MMIO write access to invalid memory pages. This affects systems using Intel Ethernet 700 Series controllers with vulnerable kernel versions. Attackers with local access could potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with i40e driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to kernel compromise, system crash, or arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service, potentially requiring physical access to recover.
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service if proper access controls prevent local user access to affected systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to send specific input to the network device. Exploitation likely requires understanding of kernel memory layout and driver internals.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 015bac5daca978448f2671478c553ce1f300c21e or later
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/015bac5daca978448f2671478c553ce1f300c21e
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild kernel if using custom kernel. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel. 4. Verify i40e driver version in kernel logs.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable i40e driver
linuxBlacklist or disable the i40e driver if not required
echo 'blacklist i40e' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod i40e
Restrict device access
linuxUse device permissions to restrict access to network interface
chmod 600 /dev/mem
setfacl -m u:root:rw /sys/class/net/ethX/device/resource0
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable drivers
- Implement strict access controls and monitoring for systems using i40e drivers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and i40e driver presence: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep i40e'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commit: 'git log --oneline | grep 015bac5daca978448f2671478c553ce1f300c21e' or check kernel changelog📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages
- i40e driver errors in dmesg
- System crash/panic logs
Network Indicators:
- Sudden network interface disappearance
- Unexpected network disruption on affected interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("i40e" OR "MMIO" OR "page fault")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/015bac5daca978448f2671478c553ce1f300c21e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a1f4f2e36442a9bdf771acf6ee86f3cf876e5ca
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3502dd42f178dae9d54696013386bb52b4f2e655
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e75c9082987479e647c75ec8fdf18fa68263c42
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/872607632c658d3739e4e7889e4f3c419ae2c193
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8cde755f56163281ec2c46b4ae8b61f532758a6f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d88a1e8f024ba26e19350958fecbf771a9960352
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fecb2fc3fc10c95724407cc45ea35af4a65cdde2
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
