# CVE-2025-38013: wifi: mac80211: Set n_channels after allocating struct cfg80211_scan_request

> A missing initialization in the Linux kernel Wi-Fi scanning code causes an out-of-bounds array access, potentially leading to a system crash.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38013, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38013, GHSA-w5qx-5mqj-mr45, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38013, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38013

## What is CVE-2025-38013?

CVE-2025-38013 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: mac80211: Set n_channels after allocating struct cfg80211_scan_request

Make sure that n_channels is set after allocating the
struct cfg80211_registered_device::int_scan_req member. Seen with
syzkaller:

UBSAN: array-index-out-of-bounds in net/mac80211/scan.c:1208:5
index 0 is out of range for type 'struct ieee80211_channel *[] __counted_by(n_channels)' (aka 'struct ieee80211_channel *[]')

This was missed in the initial conversions because I failed to locate
the allocation likely due to the "sizeof(void *)" not matching the
"channels" array type.

Weakness: CWE-129 (Improper Validation of Array Index)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38013?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38013?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38013 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38013 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38013 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38013 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38013 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38013/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38013/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38013
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38013
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38013

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38013/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.