CVE-2025-37738: Linux kernel · ext4: ignore xattrs past end
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 4 Nov 2026, 17:23 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 May 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 4 Nov 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users and administrators should apply the official kernel updates that include the patch for CVE-2025-37738 to remediate the issue. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating to a fixed kernel version is the recommended mitigation. No alternative workarounds or temporary mitigations are indicated.
Description
CVE-2025-37738 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the ext4 filesystem implementation of the Linux kernel. The flaw occurs in the function ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all, where extended attribute (xattr) entries past the designated end are not properly ignored, leading to a slab-use-after-free error. This issue was detected by Kernel Address Sanitizer (KASAN) and could result in memory corruption. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions prior to the fix and has a high severity rating with a CVSS score of 7.8.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37738 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/362a90cecd36e8a5c415966d0b75b04a0270e4dd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bc6317033f365ce578eb6039445fb66162722fd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aff941cb0f7d0c897c3698ad2e30672709135e3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/76c365fa7e2a8bb85f0190cdb4b8cdc99b2fdce3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/836e625b03a666cf93ff5be328c8cb30336db872 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8e008b60492cf6fd31ef127aea6d02fd3d314cd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf9291a3449b04688b81e32621e88de8f4314b54 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb59cc31b6ea076021d14b04e7faab1636b87d0e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f737418b6de31c962c7192777ee4018906975383 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.html (opens in a new tab)