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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-38378: Linux kernel · HID: appletb-kbd: fix slab use-after-free bug in appletb_kbd_probe

Source GCVE Database

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 20:44 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 25 Jul 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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 is available that properly deletes the timer on failure paths by calling timer_delete_sync(). Users should update to a Linux kernel version that includes this fix. Since this is a kernel vulnerability, applying the official kernel patch or upgrading to a fixed kernel release is the recommended remediation.

Description

CVE-2025-38378 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's HID appletb-kbd driver. The flaw occurs in the appletb_kbd_probe function when a timer is armed but not properly disarmed on failure, leading to access of freed memory after the timer expires. This can cause kernel memory corruption and potentially allow privilege escalation or denial of service. The issue is fixed by properly deleting the timer on failure paths and conditionally in the remove function.

References

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