CVE-2025-38718
📋 TL;DR
A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) implementation allows uninitialized memory access when processing cloned GSO (Generic Segmentation Offload) packets. This can lead to kernel crashes or potential privilege escalation. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions with SCTP enabled 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 leading to denial of service, or potential privilege escalation to kernel mode allowing full system compromise.
Likely Case
Kernel crash causing system instability or denial of service, potentially requiring system reboot.
If Mitigated
No impact if SCTP is disabled or systems are patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted SCTP packets to vulnerable systems. The syzbot reports suggest the bug was discovered through fuzzing.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with commits: 03d0cc6889e0, 1bd5214ea681, 4506bcaabe00, 7d757f17bc2e, cd0e92bb2b75
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03d0cc6889e02420125510b5444b570f4bbf53d5
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
Disable SCTP kernel module
linuxPrevent loading of SCTP kernel module to eliminate attack surface
echo 'install sctp /bin/true' >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-sctp.conf
rmmod sctp
Block SCTP traffic at firewall
linuxPrevent SCTP packets from reaching vulnerable systems
iptables -A INPUT -p sctp -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -p sctp -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable SCTP protocol support in kernel configuration
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems using SCTP
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if SCTP module is loaded: lsmod | grep sctp. If loaded and kernel version is unpatched, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version matches patched version from your distribution. Verify SCTP functionality still works if needed.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System crash/reboot logs
- SCTP protocol errors in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- Unusual SCTP traffic patterns
- SCTP packets with malformed headers
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "BUG" OR "KMSAN") AND "sctp"🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03d0cc6889e02420125510b5444b570f4bbf53d5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1bd5214ea681584c5886fea3ba03e49f93a43c0e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4506bcaabe004d07be8ff09116a3024fbd6aa965
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d757f17bc2ef2727994ffa6d5d6e4bc4789a770
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cd0e92bb2b7542fb96397ffac639b4f5b099d0cb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0194e391bb493aa6cec56d177b14df6b29188d5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea094f38d387d1b0ded5dee4a3e5720aa4ce0139
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc66772607101bd2030a4332b3bd0ea3b3605250
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd60d8a086191fe33c2d719732d2482052fa6805
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html
