CVE-2025-38383
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a data race condition in the Linux kernel's vmalloc subsystem, specifically in the show_numa_info() function. The vulnerability allows concurrent read/write access to shared memory, potentially causing kernel crashes or information disclosure. It affects Linux systems with the vulnerable kernel version.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux Kernel
📦 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 →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic or system crash leading to denial of service, or exposure of sensitive kernel memory data.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, or incorrect information displayed in /proc/vmallocinfo.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact or no noticeable effect if race condition doesn't trigger.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires precise timing to trigger the data race and would likely only cause crashes rather than privilege escalation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 5c5f0468d172ddec2e333d738d2a1f85402cf0bc, 5c966f447a584ece3c70395898231aeb56256ee7, or ead91de35d9cd5c4f80ec51e6020f342079170af applied
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c5f0468d172ddec2e333d738d2a1f85402cf0bc
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict /proc/vmallocinfo access
linuxLimit access to the vulnerable /proc interface to prevent triggering the race condition
chmod 600 /proc/vmallocinfo
chown root:root /proc/vmallocinfo
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system logs for kernel crashes or instability
- Restrict user access to systems where possible, especially for untrusted users
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with distribution's security advisories. Vulnerable if running unpatched kernel with vmalloc subsystem.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version matches patched version from your distribution. Check that /proc/vmallocinfo functions normally without crashes.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System crash logs
- Unexpected reboots
- Errors in dmesg related to vmalloc or show_numa_info
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND ("vmalloc" OR "show_numa_info")