CVE-2025-38419
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's remoteproc subsystem occurs when resource handling fails during remote processor attachment. This affects systems using the remoteproc framework for managing remote processors, potentially leading to kernel memory exhaustion over time. The vulnerability requires local access to trigger.
💻 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 →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
Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or kernel panic.
Likely Case
Memory leak gradually consumes kernel memory, potentially degrading system performance over time or causing resource exhaustion under repeated triggering.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to local denial of service rather than privilege escalation or remote compromise.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and ability to trigger remoteproc operations; not a privilege escalation vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits: 5434d9f2fd68722b514c14b417b53a8af02c4d24, 7692c9fbedd9087dc9050903f58095915458d9b1, 82208ce9505abb057afdece7c62a14687c52c9ca, 92776ca0ccfe78b9bfe847af206bad641fb11121, 9515d74c9d1ae7308a02e8bd4f894eb8137cf8df
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5434d9f2fd68722b514c14b417b53a8af02c4d24
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check if your distribution has released security updates. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable remoteproc if unused
linuxIf remoteproc functionality is not required, disable the kernel module to prevent exploitation.
modprobe -r remoteproc
echo 'blacklist remoteproc' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local access to systems using remoteproc functionality
- Monitor kernel memory usage for unusual increases that could indicate exploitation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if remoteproc is loaded: 'uname -r' and 'lsmod | grep remoteproc'Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check git commit history includes the fix commits📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oom-killer messages
- System instability logs
- Memory exhaustion warnings in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability only
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic logs or memory exhaustion events in system logs🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5434d9f2fd68722b514c14b417b53a8af02c4d24
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7692c9fbedd9087dc9050903f58095915458d9b1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/82208ce9505abb057afdece7c62a14687c52c9ca
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92776ca0ccfe78b9bfe847af206bad641fb11121
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9515d74c9d1ae7308a02e8bd4f894eb8137cf8df
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c56d6ef2711ee51b54f160ad0f25a381561f0287
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
