CVE-2025-38013: Linux kernel · wifi: mac80211: Set n_channels after allocating struct cfg80211_scan_request
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 19:23 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 18 Jun 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 13 Nov 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to set the n_channels field immediately after allocating the cfg80211_scan_request structure, preventing the out-of-bounds access. Users should update to the fixed kernel version once available. Since this is a kernel vulnerability, applying the official kernel patch or upgrading to a patched kernel release is the recommended remediation. No alternative mitigations are indicated.
Description
A high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2025-38013) in the Linux kernel's mac80211 wireless subsystem was fixed by ensuring the n_channels field is set after allocating the cfg80211_scan_request structure. The flaw involved an out-of-bounds array access due to improper ordering of initialization, which was detected by UBSAN during fuzz testing. This could lead to memory corruption with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38013 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/07c737d9ab02c07b562aefcca16aa95077368e24 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/82bbe02b2500ef0a62053fe2eb84773fe31c5a0a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3192e999a0d05ea0ba2c59c09afaf0b8ee70b81 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fde33ab3c052a302ee8a0b739094b88ceae4dd67 (opens in a new tab)