How severe is CVE-2025-38549?

CVE-2025-38549 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-2025-38549 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-2025-38549?

CVE-2025-38549 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2025-38549?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

Does CVE-2025-38549 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2025-38549 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-25099.

When was CVE-2025-38549 published?

CVE-2025-38549 was published on 2025-08-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2025-38549

CVE-2025-38549 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. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-401.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (3rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-25099
Weakness: CWE-401
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2025-08-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: efivarfs: Fix memory leak of efivarfs_fs_info in fs_context error paths When processing mount options, efivarfs allocates efivarfs_fs_info (sfi) early in fs_context initialization. However, sfi is associated with the superblock and typically freed when the superblock is destroyed. If the fs_context is released (final put) before fill_super is called—such as on error paths or during reconfiguration—the sfi structure would leak, as ownership never transfers to the superblock. Implement the .free callback in efivarfs_context_ops to ensure any allocated sfi is properly freed if the fs_context is torn down before fill_super, preventing this memory leak.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38549?: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: efivarfs: Fix memory leak of efivarfs_fs_info in fs_context error paths When processing mount options, efivarfs allocates efivarfs_fs_info (sfi) early in fs_context initialization. However, sfi is associated with the superblock and typically freed when the superblock is destroyed. If the fs_context is released (final put) before fill_super is called—such as on error paths or during reconfiguration—the sfi structure would leak, as ownership never transfers to the superblock. Implement the .free callback in efivarfs_context_ops to ensure any allocated sfi is properly freed if the fs_context is torn down before fill_super, preventing this memory leak.
How severe is CVE-2025-38549?: CVE-2025-38549 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-2025-38549 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-2025-38549?: CVE-2025-38549 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38549?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-38549 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2025-38549 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-25099.
When was CVE-2025-38549 published?: CVE-2025-38549 was published on 2025-08-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*

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