CVE-2025-38595: Linux kernel · xen: fix UAF in dmabuf_exp_from_pages()
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in e5907885260401bba300d4d18d79875c05b82651 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:24 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in e5907885260401bba300d4d18d79875c05b82651, d59d49af4aeed9a81e673e37c26c6a3bacf1a181, ba8bc644f168509c16d48444991de7cfea3f12ec +2
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 19 Aug 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 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– |
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xen: fix UAF in dmabuf_exp_from_pages() [dma_buf_fd() fixes; no preferences regarding the tree it goes through - up to xen folks] As soon as we'd inserted a file reference into descriptor table, another thread could close it. That's fine for the case when all we are doing is returning that descriptor to userland (it's a race, but it's a userland race and there's nothing the kernel can do about it). However, if we follow fd_install() with any kind of access to objects that would be destroyed on close (be it the struct file itself or anything destroyed by its ->release()), we have a UAF. dma_buf_fd() is a combination of reserving a descriptor and fd_install(). gntdev dmabuf_exp_from_pages() calls it and then proceeds to access the objects destroyed on close - starting with gntdev_dmabuf itself. Fix that by doing reserving descriptor before anything else and do fd_install() only when everything had been set up.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba8bc644f168509c16d48444991de7cfea3f12ec (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5907885260401bba300d4d18d79875c05b82651 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3edfd2353f301bfffd5ee41066e37320a59ccc2d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d59d49af4aeed9a81e673e37c26c6a3bacf1a181 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/532c8b51b3a8676cbf533a291f8156774f30ea87 (opens in a new tab)