Use-after-free in Linux kernel - CVE-2025-38666

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Main Vulnerability Database Vulnerabilities #VU114494

Use-after-free in Linux kernel - CVE-2025-38666

Published: August 28, 2025


Vulnerability identifier: #VU114494
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 8.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2025-38666
CWE-ID: CWE-416
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Vulnerability details

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free error within the DEFINE_RWLOCK(), __aarp_expire(), aarp_purge() and aarp_proxy_probe_network() functions in net/appletalk/aarp.c. A local user can escalate privileges on the system.


Affected software

Linux kernel
Ubuntu
Anolis OS
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-iot (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-5.4 (Ubuntu package)
linux-kvm (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
kernel-debug-devel
kernel-debug
kernel
bpftool
kernel-devel
kernel-headers
kernel-tools
kernel-tools-libs
kernel-tools-libs-devel
perf
python3-perf
kernel-64k
kernel-64k-debug
kernel-64k-debug-devel
kernel-64k-devel
linux-xilinx (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-nvidia (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-oem-6.14 (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime-6.14 (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-6.14 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-6.14 (Ubuntu package)

How to mitigate CVE-2025-38666

Install update from vendor's repository.

linux (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.4.0.276.282, 4.4.0-276.310, 4.4.0.276.310~14.04.1, 4.4.0-276.310~14.04.1, 4.4.0.1150.147, 4.4.0-1150.156, 4.4.0.1151.148, 4.4.0-1151.162, 4.4.0.1188.192, 4.4.0-1188.203, 4.15.0.245.229, 4.15.0-245.257, 4.15.0.1149.154, 4.15.0-1149.160, 4.15.0.1169.160, 4.15.0-1169.174, 4.15.0.1187.185, 4.15.0-1187.200, 4.15.0-1187.200~16.04.1, 4.15.0.1187.200~16.04.1, 5.4.0.224.216, 5.4.0-224.244, 5.4.0-224.244~18.04.1, 5.4.0.224.244~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1071.71, 5.4.0-1071.75, 5.4.0-1099.104, 5.4.0.1099.104~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1099.104~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1099.128, 5.4.0.1140.136, 5.4.0-1140.149, 5.4.0.1151.145, 5.4.0-1151.161~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1153.150, 5.4.0-1153.163, 5.4.0-1153.163~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1153.163~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1156.158, 5.4.0-1156.165, 5.4.0-1156.165~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1156.165~18.04.1, 5.15.0.163.140, 5.15.0.163.158, 5.15.0-163.173, 5.15.0.163.173~20.04.1, 5.15.0-163.173~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1038.38, 5.15.0.1038.40, 5.15.0-1049.49, 5.15.0.1049.49, 5.15.0-1049.49~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1049.49~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1061.64, 5.15.0-1061.65, 5.15.0.1091.87, 5.15.0-1091.94, 5.15.0-1091.94~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1091.94~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1092.92, 5.15.0-1092.93, 5.15.0.1092.98~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1092.98~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1094.90, 5.15.0-1094.100, 5.15.0-1094.100~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1094.100~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1097.100, 5.15.0-1097.104, 5.15.0.1097.104~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1097.104~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1097.106~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1097.106~20.04.1, 6.8.0-90.91, 6.8.0-90.91.1, 6.8.0-90.91.1~22.04.1, 6.8.0-90.91~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1028.31, 6.8.0-1041.42, 6.8.0-1041.42~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1041.46, 6.8.0-1042.42, 6.8.0-1042.42~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1044.46, 6.8.0-1044.46~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1044.47, 6.8.0-1044.47.1, 6.8.0-1044.47~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1045.48, 6.8.0-1045.48~22.04.1, 6.14.0-36.36, 6.14.0-36.36~24.04.1, 6.14.0-1016.16~24.04.1, 6.14.0-1017.17, 6.14.0-1020.21
linux-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.4.0.1120.121, 4.4.0-1120.127
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.15.0-245.257~16.04.1, 4.15.0.245.257~16.04.1, 4.15.0.1180.193, 4.15.0-1180.197, 4.15.0.1180.197~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1180.197~16.04.1, 5.15.0.1080.79, 5.15.0-1080.88, 5.15.0.1093.92, 5.15.0-1093.99, 5.15.0.1097.93, 5.15.0-1097.106
linux-aws-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.15.0.1142.139, 4.15.0-1142.154, 4.15.0.2125.119, 4.15.0-2125.131, 5.4.0.1127.124, 5.4.0-1127.137, 5.4.0.1153.100, 5.4.0-1153.163+fips1, 5.4.0.1156.98, 5.4.0-1156.165+fips1, 5.15.0.163.94, 5.15.0-163.173+fips1, 5.15.0.1097.87, 5.15.0.1097.93, 5.15.0-1097.104+fips1, 5.15.0-1097.106+fips1, 6.8.0-90.91+fips1, 6.8.0-1044.46+fips1, 6.8.0-1045.48+fips1
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.15.0.1149.160~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1149.160~16.04.1, 4.15.0.1195.163, 4.15.0-1195.210, 4.15.0-1195.210~14.04.1, 4.15.0.1195.210~14.04.1, 4.15.0-1195.210~16.04.1, 4.15.0.1195.210~16.04.1, 5.4.0.1156.150, 5.4.0-1156.163, 5.4.0.1156.163~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1156.163~18.04.1, 5.15.0.1101.99, 5.15.0-1101.110, 6.8.0-1044.50, 6.8.0-1044.50~22.04.1, 6.14.0-1017.17, 6.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.15.0.2088.86, 4.15.0-2088.94
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 4.15.0.2104.100, 4.15.0-2104.110, 5.4.0.1157.94, 5.4.0-1157.164+fips1, 5.15.0.1101.86, 5.15.0-1101.110+fips1, 6.8.0-1044.50+fips1
linux-iot (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.4.0-1057.60
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.4.0-1136.149, 5.4.0.1136.149~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1136.149~18.04.1, 5.4.0.1136.167, 5.15.0.1091.89, 5.15.0-1091.94, 6.8.0-1044.48, 6.8.0-2035.36
linux-oracle-5.4 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.4.0.1151.161~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1151.161~18.04.1
linux-kvm (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1089.85, 5.15.0-1089.94
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1089.91, 5.15.0.1089.93, 5.15.0.1096.100, 5.15.0-1096.105
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1102.111~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1102.111~20.04.1
kernel-debug-devel - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-debug - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel - update to 6.6.102-5
bpftool - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-devel - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-headers - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-tools - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-tools-libs - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-tools-libs-devel - update to 6.6.102-5
perf - update to 6.6.102-5
python3-perf - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-64k - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-64k-debug - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-64k-debug-devel - update to 6.6.102-5
kernel-64k-devel - update to 6.6.102-5
linux-xilinx (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0.1021.22, 6.8.0-1021.22
linux-azure-nvidia (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1029.32
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.1-1039.40, 6.8.1-1039.40~22.04.1
linux-oem-6.14 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.14.0-1016.16
linux-realtime-6.14 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.14.0-1016.16~24.04.1
linux-aws-6.14 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1
linux-gcp-6.14 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.14.0-1018.18, 6.14.0-1020.21~24.04.1

External References

Related Security Bulletins