CVE-2025-38463
📋 TL;DR
A Linux kernel vulnerability in TCP data handling allows integer overflow in sk_forward_alloc memory tracking. This can cause memory accounting errors leading to denial of service or potential memory corruption. All Linux systems using affected kernel versions are vulnerable.
💻 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 →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
Kernel panic or system crash due to memory accounting corruption, potentially leading to denial of service on affected systems.
Likely Case
System instability or crash under specific network conditions when sending large amounts of TCP data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and monitoring; patched systems are unaffected.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to create specific TCP conditions; syzkaller reproducer exists but not public exploit
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 62e6160cfb55, 81373cd1d72d, 9f164fa6bb09, or d3a5f2871adc
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/62e6160cfb5514787bda833d466509edc38fde23
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version 2. Reboot system 3. Verify kernel version
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable TCP_REPAIR
linuxPrevent exploitation via TCP_REPAIR mode which is used in reproducer
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_repair=0
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict network access to vulnerable systems
- Monitor for unusual TCP connection patterns or system crashes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and compare with patched versions containing the fix commitsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes one of the fix commits: 62e6160cfb55, 81373cd1d72d, 9f164fa6bb09, or d3a5f2871adc📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- System crash dumps
- TCP connection errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual TCP_REPAIR usage
- Large TCP data transfers triggering crashes
SIEM Query:
Search for kernel panic events or system reboots following network traffic spikes