CVE-2025-38512 – This CVE addresses an A-MSDU spoofing vulnerabi... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2025-38512?

CVE-2025-38512 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE addresses an A-MSDU spoofing vulnerability in Linux kernel's WiFi mesh network implementation that allows attackers to inject malicious network packets. It affects Linux systems using mesh networking with vulnerable kernel versions. This is a variant of CVE-2020-24588 specifically targeting mesh networks.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE addresses an A-MSDU spoofing vulnerability in Linux kernel's WiFi mesh network implementation that allows attackers to inject malicious network packets. It affects Linux systems using mesh networking with vulnerable kernel versions. This is a variant of CVE-2020-24588 specifically targeting mesh networks.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not specified in CVE, but patches available for stable kernel branches

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using WiFi mesh networking functionality. Both 4-address and 6-address mesh configurations are vulnerable.

📦 What is this software?

Debian Linux by Debian

View all CVEs affecting Debian Linux →

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...

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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

Attackers could intercept, modify, or inject network traffic in mesh networks, potentially leading to man-in-the-middle attacks, data theft, or network disruption.

🟠

Likely Case

Local network attackers could spoof packets to bypass network security controls or disrupt mesh network communications.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper patching, the vulnerability is eliminated; without patching, network segmentation and monitoring can reduce risk.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This primarily affects local mesh networks, not directly internet-facing systems.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Attackers on the same local mesh network can exploit this vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires network access to the mesh network. The vulnerability was discussed in academic papers and IEEE presentations before patching.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel branches (commits: 6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de, 737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb, e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32, e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80, ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd)

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update. 4. Verify patch is applied using kernel version check.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable mesh networking

linux

If mesh networking is not required, disable WiFi mesh functionality

# Disable mesh mode if using iw: iw dev <interface> set type managed
# Or disable mesh in network configuration

Network segmentation

all

Isolate mesh networks from critical systems using VLANs or firewalls

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Segment mesh networks from sensitive systems using network controls
Implement network monitoring for unusual A-MSDU patterns or spoofing attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if system uses WiFi mesh networking and has unpatched kernel. Use: iw dev | grep -i mesh

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version against patched versions and verify mesh functionality still works normally

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel logs showing A-MSDU parsing errors
Network interface errors related to mesh packets

Network Indicators:

Unusual A-MSDU traffic patterns in mesh networks
Spoofed packets with incorrect header structures

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel logs containing 'A-MSDU', 'mesh', or WiFi driver error messages related to packet parsing

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-38512

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (2.7th percentile)

Published: August 16, 2025

Last Updated: January 7, 2026

🔗 References

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