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Linux Kernel CVE-2025-38451

MEDIUM
2025-07-25 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Information Disclosure Linux Debian Red Hat Canonical Debian Linux Suse
5.5
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Recon
    Local user gains system access
  2. Delivery
    Identifies RAID external bitmap configuration
  3. Exploit
    Reads /proc/mdstat interface
  4. Install
    Triggers bitmap_get_stats() function
  5. C2
    Function dereferences invalid superblock pointer
  6. Execute
    General protection fault occurs
  7. Impact
    Kernel panic and denial of service

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Local user account access is required (not unauthenticated remote). RAID device must be configured with an external bitmap (file-based rather than superblock-stored bitmap). The /proc/mdstat file or other bitmap statistics interface must be readable by the attacker's user context. The vulnerable code is only triggered when bitmap statistics are explicitly requested via /proc read operations. Non-default RAID configurations (most RAID arrays with external bitmaps use this) are required; systems without RAID or using internal-only bitmaps are not affected. Kernel versions 6.15-rc3 through rc6 are specifically vulnerable, though earlier stable versions may be affected if the flawed commit was backported.
Impact

CVSS 5.5 indicates local low-privilege denial of service with low attack complexity and no user interaction required. The attack vector is local (AV:L), and privileges required (PR:L) suggest any local user account can trigger this. While EPSS data is not provided, the real-world risk is moderate but context-dependent: the vulnerability requires explicit access to bitmap statistics through /proc, which is readable by the triggering user. Active exploitation has not been confirmed by CISA KEV status (not listed as actively exploited). The GPF impact is denial of service only (availability impact: high), not code execution or privilege escalation. Systems running unpatched Linux 6.15-rc3 through rc6 kernels are most directly affected. Older stable kernel versions may also be vulnerable depending on when the flawed commit was backported. The limited attack surface (requires /proc access and local presence) and absence of confirmed KEV status suggest this is a moderate-priority DoS rather than a critical security emergency, but it can crash the kernel on systems with RAID configurations using external bitmaps.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user with read access to /proc interfaces on a RAID system using external bitmaps executes 'cat /proc/mdstat' or similar command to read bitmap statistics. The kernel's bitmap_get_stats() function is called without proper validation of the superblock for external bitmaps, dereferencing a null or invalid pointer. The kernel triggers a general protection fault, causing the system to panic and reboot, resulting in denial of service. No special RAID setup is required beyond having external bitmaps configured; the attack is trivial once the vulnerable code path is triggered.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – May 12, 2026

A general protection fault (GPF) in the Linux kernel's md-bitmap module affects the bitmap_get_stats() function when reading bitmap statistics for RAID devices with external bitmaps. Local users with sufficient privileges can trigger a kernel panic by accessing bitmap statistics through the /proc interface, causing denial of service. The vulnerability stems from incomplete validation of bitmap storage configuration introduced by a prior fix that failed to properly check superblock validity for both internal and external bitmap modes.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch from the Linux kernel stable tree (commits 3d82a729530bd2110ba66e4a1f73461c776edec2, 3e0542701b37aa25b025d8531583458e4f014c2e, a18f9b08c70e10ea3a897058fee8a4f3b4c146ec, a23b16ba3274961494f5ad236345d238364349ff, or c17fb542dbd1db745c9feac15617056506dd7195 depending on kernel series). Upgrade to the next stable kernel release after 6.15-rc6 that includes the fix. For Debian systems, patches are available via debian-lts-announce as referenced. For Siemens products, consult the Siemens security advisory (ssa-082556) for product-specific patching guidance. As a temporary workaround if patching cannot be immediately deployed, restrict access to /proc/mdstat and bitmap statistics files via file permissions or SELinux policies to limit which local users can trigger the GPF, though this does not prevent privileged administrators from accessing the interface. Note that this workaround does not fix the underlying bug and does not prevent kernel panic if a privileged user accesses the statistics.

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The Linux kernel's md (software RAID) subsystem uses bitmap tracking to optimize resynchronization. Bitmaps can be stored internally (within the RAID superblock) or externally (in a dedicated file). The bitmap_get_stats() function, called when reading /proc interfaces for bitmap statistics, performs validation checks. A prior commit (6ec1f0239485) attempted to unify statistics collection for both bitmap storage modes but introduced a logic flaw: it only validated superblock existence for internal bitmaps while failing to check for external bitmap validity. This causes a null pointer dereference when the function attempts to read non-canonical memory addresses for external bitmaps lacking proper superblock references, triggering a general protection fault.

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
SUSE MEDIUM

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

md/md-bitmap: fix GPF in bitmap_get_stats()

The commit message of commit 6ec1f0239485 ("md/md-bitmap: fix stats collection for external bitmaps") states:

Remove the external bitmap check as the statistics should be available regardless of bitmap storage location.

Return -EINVAL only for invalid bitmap with no storage (neither in superblock nor in external file).

But, the code does not adhere to the above, as it does only check for a valid super-block for "internal" bitmaps. Hence, we observe:

Oops: GPF, probably for non-canonical address 0x1cd66f1f40000028 RIP: 0010:bitmap_get_stats+0x45/0xd0 Call Trace:

seq_read_iter+0x2b9/0x46a seq_read+0x12f/0x180 proc_reg_read+0x57/0xb0 vfs_read+0xf6/0x380 ksys_read+0x6d/0xf0 do_syscall_64+0x8c/0x1b0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

We fix this by checking the existence of a super-block for both the internal and external case.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 93% exploitable
Data Quality
2 sources
Confidence: Low
NVD CVE.org EPSS Vendor

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information Disclosure MEDIUM

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.15:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Medium
Product Status
Image SLES-Azure-3P Image SLES-Azure-Basic Image SLES-Azure-Standard Image SLES-BYOS-Azure Image SLES-BYOS-EC2 Image SLES-BYOS-GCE Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-Azure Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-GCE Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-GDC Image SLES-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud Image SLES-EC2 Image SLES-GCE Image SLES-GCE-3P Image SLES-Hardened-BYOS-Azure Image SLES-Hardened-BYOS-EC2 Image SLES-Hardened-BYOS-GCE Image SLES-SAPCAL-Azure Image SLES-SAPCAL-EC2 Image SLES-SAPCAL-GCE Affected
Image SLES-SAP-Azure Image SLES-SAP-Azure-3P Image SLES-SAP-BYOS-Azure Image SLES-SAP-BYOS-EC2 Image SLES-SAP-BYOS-GCE Image SLES-SAP-EC2 Image SLES-SAP-GCE Image SLES-SAP-GCE-3P Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 Fixed

References

Advisories & patches
PATCH https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d82a729530bd2110ba66e4a1f73461c776edec2 PATCH https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e0542701b37aa25b025d8531583458e4f014c2e PATCH https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a18f9b08c70e10ea3a897058fee8a4f3b4c146ec PATCH https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a23b16ba3274961494f5ad236345d238364349ff PATCH https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c17fb542dbd1db745c9feac15617056506dd7195 ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2025:20994/ ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2025:20996/ ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2025:21074/ ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2025:21139/ ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2025:21179/ ADVISORY https://www.suse.com/support/update/SUSE-SU-2026:20560/ REF https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html REF https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html

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