{ "dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": { "cveId": "CVE-2025-38542", "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Linux", "dateReserved": "2025-04-16T04:51:24.024Z", "datePublished": "2025-08-16T11:22:16.689Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:02:46.709Z" }, "containers": { "cna": { "providerMetadata": { "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "shortName": "Linux", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:02:46.709Z" }, "descriptions": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()\n\nWhen updating an existing route entry in atrtr_create(), the old device\nreference was not being released before assigning the new device,\nleading to a device refcount leak. Fix this by calling dev_put() to\nrelease the old device reference before holding the new one." } ], "metrics": [ { "cvssV3_1": { "version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H", "baseScore": 7.8, "baseSeverity": "HIGH" }, "scenarios": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "AV:L - The vulnerability is reached via `ioctl(SIOCADDRT)` on a locally-created `AF_APPLETALK` socket, requiring local system access. There is no remote or adjacent-network trigger for `atrtr_create()`.\nAC:L - The leak is fully deterministic — issuing the same `SIOCADDRT` twice for one route target/flags pair leaks a reference on every subsequent call, with no race, timing window, or memory-layout dependency. The attacker controls the loop entirely and `appletalk.ko` autoloads on demand.\nPR:L - The 32-bit compat path `atalk_compat_routing_ioctl()` reaches `atrtr_create()` with no capability check whatsoever (dropped in v5.6 by dc13c8761c91c0), and `compat_sock_ioctl()` dispatches to it before any generic gating, so an ordinary unprivileged user account suffices. Only the native path enforces `capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN)`.\nUI:N - The attacker triggers the entire sequence from their own process with socket creation and repeated ioctls. No victim action or cooperation is involved.\nS:U - The leaked reference, the resulting hang, and any subsequent memory corruption are all confined to the kernel's own security authority. No VM, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary is crossed.\nC:H - The netdev refcount is an unprotected wrappable `int` (`this_cpu_inc` on `pcpu_refcnt`, no `refcount_t` saturation), so sustained leaking wraps `netdev_refcnt_read()` and causes `free_netdev()` while live references remain. The resulting use-after-free on `struct net_device` — still referenced by routes, qdiscs and sockets — yields an arbitrary kernel read primitive after heap reclaim.\nI:H - The same refcount wrap produces a dangling `struct net_device`, an object dense with function-pointer tables (`netdev_ops`, `ethtool_ops`, `header_ops`) that is straightforward to reclaim and spray, giving a write and control-flow hijack primitive. Per kernel scoring guidance, use-after-free is rated High for integrity.\nA:H - Each leaked reference makes the device permanently unremovable — `netdev_wait_allrefs_any()` spins forever from `netdev_run_todo()`, wedging the single-threaded `cleanup_net` workqueue so all further netns teardown and RTNL device removal hangs system-wide until reboot. The `BUG_ON(netdev_refcnt_read(dev) != 1)` in `netdev_run_todo()` additionally gives a directly reachable kernel panic." } ] } ], "affected": [ { "product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": [ "net/appletalk/ddp.c" ], "versions": [ { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afd", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "c7f905f0f6d49ed8c1aa4566c31f0383a0ba0c9d", "lessThan": "711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" } ] }, { "product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "affected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": [ "net/appletalk/ddp.c" ], "versions": [ { "version": "2.6.12", "status": "affected" }, { "version": "0", "lessThan": "2.6.12", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "5.4.296", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "5.10.240", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "5.15.189", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.1.146", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.6.99", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.12.39", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.15.7", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.15.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.16", "lessThanOrEqual": "*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix" } ] } ], "cpeApplicability": [ { "nodes": [ { "operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [ { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "5.4.296" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "5.10.240" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.189" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.146" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.99" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.39" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "6.15.7" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12", "versionEndExcluding": "6.16" } ] } ] } ], "references": [ { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b92bedf71f25303e203a4e657489d76691a58119" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7852b01793669248dce0348d14df89e77a32afd" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2f5dfa87367fdce9f8b995bc6c38f64f9ea2c90" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2e9f50f0bdad73b64a871f25186b899624518c4" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a17370da6e476d3d275534e9e9cd2d02c57ca46" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/473f3eadfc73b0fb6d8dee5829d19a5772e387f7" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64124cf0aab0dd1e18c0fb5ae66e45741e727f8b" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/711c80f7d8b163d3ecd463cd96f07230f488e750" } ], "title": "net: appletalk: Fix device refcount leak in atrtr_create()", "x_generator": { "engine": "bippy-1.2.0" } }, "adp": [ { "title": "CVE Program Container", "references": [ { "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html" }, { "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html" } ], "providerMetadata": { "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108", "shortName": "CVE", "dateUpdated": "2025-11-03T17:39:38.181Z" } } ] } }