CVE-2025-38282kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard
- 5.5MediumCVSS base score
- 0.19%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 91% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: Relax constraint in draining guard The active reference lifecycle provides the break/unbreak mechanism but the active reference is not truly active after unbreak -- callers don't use it afterwards but it's important for proper pairing of kn->active counting. Assuming this mechanism is in place, the WARN check in kernfs_should_drain_open_files() is too sensitive -- it may transiently catch those (rightful) callers between kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() and kernfs_put_active() as found out by Chen Ridong: kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1 __kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002 kernfs_drain ... wait_event //waiting (active == 0x80000001) kernfs_break_active_protection // active = 0x80000001 // continue kernfs_unbreak_active_protection // active = 0x80000002 ... kernfs_should_drain_open_files // warning occurs kernfs_put_active To avoid the false positives (mind panic_on_warn) remove the check altogether. (This is meant as quick fix, I think active reference break/unbreak may be simplified with larger rework.)
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
- 3 months later
· 3 months later
Published
- 16 months later
· 16 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | Medium5.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.19% · top 91% of all CVEs (13 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.5.
Affected products
- affected bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 – < 2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f
- affected bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 – < 6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab
- affected bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 – < 6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927
- affected bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 – < 72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63
- affected bdb2fd7fc56e197a63c0b0e7e07d25d5e20e7c72 – < 071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a
- affected 6.1
- unaffected < 6.1
- unaffected 6.1.142 – ≤ 6.1.*
- unaffected 6.6.94 – ≤ 6.6.*
- unaffected 6.12.34 – ≤ 6.12.*
- unaffected 6.15.3 – ≤ 6.15.*
- unaffected 6.16 – ≤ *
References
References6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d6a67c2b3b87808a347dc1047b520a9dd177a4f (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c81f1c7812c61f187bed1b938f1d2e391d503ab (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bfb154f95d5f0ab7ed056f23aba8c1a94cb3927 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72275c888f8962b406ee9c6885c79bf68cca5a63 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/071d8e4c2a3b0999a9b822e2eb8854784a350f8a (opens in a new tab)
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2025-20966 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2025-38282)Record last updated .