CVE-2025-38211

CVE-2025-38211 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/iwcm: Fix use-after-free of work objects after cm_id destruction The commit 59c68ac31e15 ("iw_cm: free cm_id resources on the last deref") simplified cm_id resource management by freeing cm_id once all references to the cm_id were removed. The references are removed either upon completion of iw_cm event handlers or when the application destroys the cm_id. This commit introduced the use-after-free condition where cm_id_private object could still be in use by event handler works during the destruction of cm_id. The commit aee2424246f9 ("RDMA/iwcm: Fix a use-after-free related to destroying CM IDs") addressed this use-after- free by flushing all pending works at the cm_id destruction. However, still another use-after-free possibility remained. It happens with the work objects allocated for each cm_id_priv within alloc_work_entries() during cm_id creation, and subsequently freed in dealloc_work_entries() once all references to the cm_id are removed. If the cm_id's last reference is decremented in the event handler work, the work object for the work itself gets removed, and causes the use- after-free BUG below: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88811f9cf800 by task kworker/u16:1/147091 CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 147091 Comm: kworker/u16:1 Not tainted 6.15.0-rc2+ #27 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-3.fc41 04/01/2014 Workqueue: 0x0 (iw_cm_wq) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x6a/0x90 print_report+0x174/0x554 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x208/0x430 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 kasan_report+0xae/0x170 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x8c5/0xfb0 process_one_work+0xc11/0x1460 ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? _raw_spin_unlock_irq+0x24/0x50 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 147416: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xa6/0xb0 alloc_work_entries+0xa9/0x260 [iw_cm] iw_cm_connect+0x23/0x4a0 [iw_cm] rdma_connect_locked+0xbfd/0x1920 [rdma_cm] nvme_rdma_cm_handler+0x8e5/0x1b60 [nvme_rdma] cma_cm_event_handler+0xae/0x320 [rdma_cm] cma_work_handler+0x106/0x1b0 [rdma_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Freed by task 147091: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x4b/0x70 kfree+0x13a/0x4b0 dealloc_work_entries+0x125/0x1f0 [iw_cm] iwcm_deref_id+0x6f/0xa0 [iw_cm] cm_work_handler+0x136/0x1ba0 [iw_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_record_aux_stack+0xa3/0xb0 __queue_work+0x2ff/0x1390 queue_work_on+0x67/0xc0 cm_event_handler+0x46a/0x820 [iw_cm] siw_cm_upcall+0x330/0x650 [siw] siw_cm_work_handler+0x6b9/0x2b20 [siw] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 This BUG is reproducible by repeating the blktests test case nvme/061 for the rdma transport and the siw driver. To avoid the use-after-free of cm_id_private work objects, ensure that the last reference to the cm_id is decremented not in the event handler works, but in the cm_id destruction context. For that purpose, mo ---truncated---

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38211?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/iwcm: Fix use-after-free of work objects after cm_id destruction The commit 59c68ac31e15 ("iw_cm: free cm_id resources on the last deref") simplified cm_id resource management by freeing cm_id once all references to the cm_id were removed. The references are removed either upon completion of iw_cm event handlers or when the application destroys the cm_id. This commit introduced the use-after-free condition where cm_id_private object could still be in use by event handler works during the destruction of cm_id. The commit aee2424246f9 ("RDMA/iwcm: Fix a use-after-free related to destroying CM IDs") addressed this use-after- free by flushing all pending works at the cm_id destruction. However, still another use-after-free possibility remained. It happens with the work objects allocated for each cm_id_priv within alloc_work_entries() during cm_id creation, and subsequently freed in dealloc_work_entries() once all references to the cm_id are removed. If the cm_id's last reference is decremented in the event handler work, the work object for the work itself gets removed, and causes the use- after-free BUG below: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88811f9cf800 by task kworker/u16:1/147091 CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 147091 Comm: kworker/u16:1 Not tainted 6.15.0-rc2+ #27 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-3.fc41 04/01/2014 Workqueue: 0x0 (iw_cm_wq) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x6a/0x90 print_report+0x174/0x554 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x208/0x430 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 kasan_report+0xae/0x170 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x8c5/0xfb0 process_one_work+0xc11/0x1460 ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? _raw_spin_unlock_irq+0x24/0x50 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 147416: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xa6/0xb0 alloc_work_entries+0xa9/0x260 [iw_cm] iw_cm_connect+0x23/0x4a0 [iw_cm] rdma_connect_locked+0xbfd/0x1920 [rdma_cm] nvme_rdma_cm_handler+0x8e5/0x1b60 [nvme_rdma] cma_cm_event_handler+0xae/0x320 [rdma_cm] cma_work_handler+0x106/0x1b0 [rdma_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Freed by task 147091: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x4b/0x70 kfree+0x13a/0x4b0 dealloc_work_entries+0x125/0x1f0 [iw_cm] iwcm_deref_id+0x6f/0xa0 [iw_cm] cm_work_handler+0x136/0x1ba0 [iw_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_record_aux_stack+0xa3/0xb0 __queue_work+0x2ff/0x1390 queue_work_on+0x67/0xc0 cm_event_handler+0x46a/0x820 [iw_cm] siw_cm_upcall+0x330/0x650 [siw] siw_cm_work_handler+0x6b9/0x2b20 [siw] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 This BUG is reproducible by repeating the blktests test case nvme/061 for the rdma transport and the siw driver. To avoid the use-after-free of cm_id_private work objects, ensure that the last reference to the cm_id is decremented not in the event handler works, but in the cm_id destruction context. For that purpose, mo ---truncated---
How severe is CVE-2025-38211?
CVE-2025-38211 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-38211 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-38211?
CVE-2025-38211 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38211?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2025-38211 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-38211 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-20045.
When was CVE-2025-38211 published?
CVE-2025-38211 was published on 2025-07-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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