CVE-2025-38397

CVE-2025-38397 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-multipath: fix suspicious RCU usage warning When I run the NVME over TCP test in virtme-ng, I get the following "suspicious RCU usage" warning in nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link(): ''' [ 5.024557][ T44] nvmet: Created nvm controller 1 for subsystem nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp for NQN nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77. [ 5.027401][ T183] nvme nvme0: creating 2 I/O queues. [ 5.029017][ T183] nvme nvme0: mapped 2/0/0 default/read/poll queues. [ 5.032587][ T183] nvme nvme0: new ctrl: NQN "nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp", addr 127.0.0.1:4420, hostnqn: nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77 [ 5.042214][ T25] [ 5.042440][ T25] ============================= [ 5.042579][ T25] WARNING: suspicious RCU usage [ 5.042705][ T25] 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 Not tainted [ 5.042812][ T25] ----------------------------- [ 5.042934][ T25] drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c:1203 RCU-list traversed in non-reader section!! [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043111][ T25] other info that might help us debug this: [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] rcu_scheduler_active = 2, debug_locks = 1 [ 5.043502][ T25] 3 locks held by kworker/u9:0/25: [ 5.043615][ T25] #0: ffff888008730948 ((wq_completion)async){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x7ed/0x1350 [ 5.043830][ T25] #1: ffffc900001afd40 ((work_completion)(&entry->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0xcf3/0x1350 [ 5.044084][ T25] #2: ffff888013ee0020 (&head->srcu){.+.+}-{0:0}, at: nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0xb4/0x3a0 [ 5.044300][ T25] [ 5.044300][ T25] stack backtrace: [ 5.044439][ T25] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 25 Comm: kworker/u9:0 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 PREEMPT(full) [ 5.044441][ T25] Hardware name: Bochs Bochs, BIOS Bochs 01/01/2011 [ 5.044442][ T25] Workqueue: async async_run_entry_fn [ 5.044445][ T25] Call Trace: [ 5.044446][ T25] <TASK> [ 5.044449][ T25] dump_stack_lvl+0x6f/0xb0 [ 5.044453][ T25] lockdep_rcu_suspicious.cold+0x4f/0xb1 [ 5.044457][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0x2fb/0x3a0 [ 5.044459][ T25] ? queue_work_on+0x90/0xf0 [ 5.044461][ T25] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x78/0x110 [ 5.044466][ T25] nvme_mpath_set_live+0x1e9/0x4f0 [ 5.044470][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x240/0x2f0 [ 5.044472][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044475][ T25] ? add_disk_fwnode+0x361/0x580 [ 5.044480][ T25] nvme_alloc_ns+0x81c/0x17c0 [ 5.044483][ T25] ? kasan_quarantine_put+0x104/0x240 [ 5.044487][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_alloc_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044495][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_find_get_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044496][ T25] ? rcu_read_lock_any_held+0x45/0xa0 [ 5.044498][ T25] ? validate_chain+0x232/0x4f0 [ 5.044503][ T25] nvme_scan_ns+0x4c8/0x810 [ 5.044506][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044508][ T25] ? find_held_lock+0x2b/0x80 [ 5.044512][ T25] ? ktime_get+0x16d/0x220 [ 5.044517][ T25] ? kvm_clock_get_cycles+0x18/0x30 [ 5.044520][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns_async+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044522][ T25] async_run_entry_fn+0x97/0x560 [ 5.044523][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044526][ T25] process_one_work+0xd3c/0x1350 [ 5.044532][ T25] ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044536][ T25] ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 [ 5.044539][ T25] worker_thread+0x4da/0xd50 [ 5.044545][ T25] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044546][ T25] kthread+0x356/0x5c0 [ 5.044548][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044549][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044552][ T25] ? __lock_release.isra.0+0x5d/0x180 [ 5.044553][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044555][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044557][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.04 ---truncated---

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38397?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-multipath: fix suspicious RCU usage warning When I run the NVME over TCP test in virtme-ng, I get the following "suspicious RCU usage" warning in nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link(): ''' [ 5.024557][ T44] nvmet: Created nvm controller 1 for subsystem nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp for NQN nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77. [ 5.027401][ T183] nvme nvme0: creating 2 I/O queues. [ 5.029017][ T183] nvme nvme0: mapped 2/0/0 default/read/poll queues. [ 5.032587][ T183] nvme nvme0: new ctrl: NQN "nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp", addr 127.0.0.1:4420, hostnqn: nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77 [ 5.042214][ T25] [ 5.042440][ T25] ============================= [ 5.042579][ T25] WARNING: suspicious RCU usage [ 5.042705][ T25] 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 Not tainted [ 5.042812][ T25] ----------------------------- [ 5.042934][ T25] drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c:1203 RCU-list traversed in non-reader section!! [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043111][ T25] other info that might help us debug this: [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] rcu_scheduler_active = 2, debug_locks = 1 [ 5.043502][ T25] 3 locks held by kworker/u9:0/25: [ 5.043615][ T25] #0: ffff888008730948 ((wq_completion)async){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x7ed/0x1350 [ 5.043830][ T25] #1: ffffc900001afd40 ((work_completion)(&entry->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0xcf3/0x1350 [ 5.044084][ T25] #2: ffff888013ee0020 (&head->srcu){.+.+}-{0:0}, at: nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0xb4/0x3a0 [ 5.044300][ T25] [ 5.044300][ T25] stack backtrace: [ 5.044439][ T25] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 25 Comm: kworker/u9:0 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 PREEMPT(full) [ 5.044441][ T25] Hardware name: Bochs Bochs, BIOS Bochs 01/01/2011 [ 5.044442][ T25] Workqueue: async async_run_entry_fn [ 5.044445][ T25] Call Trace: [ 5.044446][ T25] <TASK> [ 5.044449][ T25] dump_stack_lvl+0x6f/0xb0 [ 5.044453][ T25] lockdep_rcu_suspicious.cold+0x4f/0xb1 [ 5.044457][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0x2fb/0x3a0 [ 5.044459][ T25] ? queue_work_on+0x90/0xf0 [ 5.044461][ T25] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x78/0x110 [ 5.044466][ T25] nvme_mpath_set_live+0x1e9/0x4f0 [ 5.044470][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x240/0x2f0 [ 5.044472][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044475][ T25] ? add_disk_fwnode+0x361/0x580 [ 5.044480][ T25] nvme_alloc_ns+0x81c/0x17c0 [ 5.044483][ T25] ? kasan_quarantine_put+0x104/0x240 [ 5.044487][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_alloc_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044495][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_find_get_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044496][ T25] ? rcu_read_lock_any_held+0x45/0xa0 [ 5.044498][ T25] ? validate_chain+0x232/0x4f0 [ 5.044503][ T25] nvme_scan_ns+0x4c8/0x810 [ 5.044506][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044508][ T25] ? find_held_lock+0x2b/0x80 [ 5.044512][ T25] ? ktime_get+0x16d/0x220 [ 5.044517][ T25] ? kvm_clock_get_cycles+0x18/0x30 [ 5.044520][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns_async+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044522][ T25] async_run_entry_fn+0x97/0x560 [ 5.044523][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044526][ T25] process_one_work+0xd3c/0x1350 [ 5.044532][ T25] ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044536][ T25] ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 [ 5.044539][ T25] worker_thread+0x4da/0xd50 [ 5.044545][ T25] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044546][ T25] kthread+0x356/0x5c0 [ 5.044548][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044549][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044552][ T25] ? __lock_release.isra.0+0x5d/0x180 [ 5.044553][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044555][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044557][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.04 ---truncated---
How severe is CVE-2025-38397?
CVE-2025-38397 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-38397 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (3rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-38397?
CVE-2025-38397 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38397?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-38397 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-38397 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-22606.
When was CVE-2025-38397 published?
CVE-2025-38397 was published on 2025-07-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

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