CVE-2025-38545
📋 TL;DR
A memory allocation vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TI AM65x CPSW Ethernet driver could lead to buffer overflow or system crashes when processing network packets. This affects systems using the affected driver version with the AM65x CPSW Ethernet hardware. The vulnerability occurs when insufficient memory is allocated for skb_shared_info structures during network packet handling.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with TI AM65x CPSW Ethernet 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
Kernel panic or system crash leading to denial of service, potentially allowing privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
System instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service when processing certain network packets.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and restricted access to affected interfaces.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted network packets to the affected interface. No public exploits are known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 02c4d6c26f1f, 7d6ca0c8c0ca, and fc2fffa2facac applied
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/02c4d6c26f1f662da8885b299c224ca6628ad232
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update to a patched Linux kernel version from your distribution vendor. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel. 3. Verify the fix is applied by checking kernel version or commit hash.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected network interface
LinuxTemporarily disable the TI AM65x CPSW Ethernet interface if not required
sudo ip link set dev <interface_name> down
Network segmentation
allIsolate systems with affected hardware from untrusted networks
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit traffic to affected interfaces
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic or crash events related to network processing
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if kernel version is before the fix commits: 'uname -r' and compare with distribution security advisoriesCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes the fix commits or check with 'dmesg | grep -i cpsw' for driver loading without errors📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System crash dumps
- Network interface errors in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- Unusual packet patterns targeting AM65x CPSW interfaces
- Increased network-related system crashes
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "BUG") AND ("cpsw" OR "am65" OR "network")