CVE-2025-38337: Linux kernel · jbd2: fix data-race and null-ptr-deref in jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata()
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · fixed in f78b38af3540b4875147b7b884ee11a27b3dbf4c : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 5 Nov 2026, 21:33 UTC
Rated Medium by Threat Radar's AI analysis · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA
Thin evidence
One scorer or none- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
- Automatable
- Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
- Technical impact
- Limited control over the software or limited information exposure
CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-05.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in f78b38af3540b4875147b7b884ee11a27b3dbf4c, ec669e5bf409f16e464bfad75f0ba039a45de29a, af98b0157adf6504fade79b3e6cb260c4ff68e37 +5
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Jul 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 5 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented and is available in the Linux kernel source code revisions referenced by the commit hashes in the established facts. Users and administrators should update to a Linux kernel version that includes these fixes. Since this is not a cloud service, manual patching is required. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Description
A data-race and null pointer dereference vulnerability was identified and fixed in the Linux kernel's jbd2 subsystem, specifically in the jbd2_journal_dirty_metadata() function. The issue arises because handle->h_transaction may be NULL, and the code did not check this before dereferencing. Additionally, a data-race condition involving the jh->b_modified field was found due to missing data-race annotations. This flaw could lead to kernel instability or crashes.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c1a34ff5b0bfdfd2f9343aa9b08d25df618bac5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec669e5bf409f16e464bfad75f0ba039a45de29a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/43d5e3bb5f1dcd91e30238ea0b59a5f77063f84e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/23361b479f2700c00960d3ae9cdc8ededa762d47 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e7c64d7a92c031d016f11c8e8cb05131ab7b75a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f78b38af3540b4875147b7b884ee11a27b3dbf4c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a377996d714afb8d4d5f4906336f78510039da29 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/af98b0157adf6504fade79b3e6cb260c4ff68e37 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html (opens in a new tab)