CVE-2025-38551: Linux kernel · virtio-net: fix recursived rtnl_lock() during probe()
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 20:07 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Aug 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
Until a fix is available, avoid sending VIRTIO_NET_S_ANNOUNCE requests while the virtio-net driver is still probing to prevent triggering the deadlock.
Description
CVE-2025-38551 is a medium severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel's virtio-net driver. It involves a deadlock caused by recursive rtnl_lock() calls during the driver's probe process. This deadlock occurs if the virtual machine monitor (VMM) sends a VIRTIO_NET_S_ANNOUNCE request while the driver is still initializing. The issue leads to an availability impact due to the deadlock condition.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38551 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3859f137b3c1fa1f0031d54263234566bdcdd7aa (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e7c46362550b229354aeb52038f414e231b0037 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/be5dcaed694e4255dc02dd0acfe036708c535def (opens in a new tab)