# CVE-2025-38022: RDMA/core: Fix "KASAN: slab-use-after-free Read in ib_register_device" problem

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel RDMA core allows local attackers to cause a system crash or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-63947, AZL-70271, BELL-CVE-2025-38022, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38022, GHSA-m3m6-56v9-2jm6, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38022, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38022, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38022, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38022, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38022

## What is CVE-2025-38022?

CVE-2025-38022 is a high-severity use after free 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:

RDMA/core: Fix "KASAN: slab-use-after-free Read in ib_register_device" problem

Call Trace:

 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline]
 dump_stack_lvl+0x116/0x1f0 lib/dump_stack.c:120
 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:408 [inline]
 print_report+0xc3/0x670 mm/kasan/report.c:521
 kasan_report+0xe0/0x110 mm/kasan/report.c:634
 strlen+0x93/0xa0 lib/string.c:420
 __fortify_strlen include/linux/fortify-string.h:268 [inline]
 get_kobj_path_length lib/kobject.c:118 [inline]
 kobject_get_path+0x3f/0x2a0 lib/kobject.c:158
 kobject_uevent_env+0x289/0x1870 lib/kobject_uevent.c:545
 ib_register_device drivers/infiniband/core/device.c:1472 [inline]
 ib_register_device+0x8cf/0xe00 drivers/infiniband/core/device.c:1393
 rxe_register_device+0x275/0x320 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_verbs.c:1552
 rxe_net_add+0x8e/0xe0 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe_net.c:550
 rxe_newlink+0x70/0x190 drivers/infiniband/sw/rxe/rxe.c:225
 nldev_newlink+0x3a3/0x680 drivers/infiniband/core/nldev.c:1796
 rdma_nl_rcv_msg+0x387/0x6e0 drivers/infiniband/core/netlink.c:195
 rdma_nl_rcv_skb.constprop.0.isra.0+0x2e5/0x450
 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1313 [inline]
 netlink_unicast+0x53a/0x7f0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339
 netlink_sendmsg+0x8d1/0xdd0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1883
 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:712 [inline]
 __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:727 [inline]
 ____sys_sendmsg+0xa95/0xc70 net/socket.c:2566
 ___sys_sendmsg+0x134/0x1d0 net/socket.c:2620
 __sys_sendmsg+0x16d/0x220 net/socket.c:2652
 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline]
 do_syscall_64+0xcd/0x260 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

This problem is similar to the problem that the
commit 1d6a9e7449e2 ("RDMA/core: Fix use-after-free when rename device name")
fixes.

The root cause is: the function ib_device_rename() renames the name with
lock. But in the function kobject_uevent(), this name is accessed without
lock protection at the same time.

The solution is to add the lock protection when this name is accessed in
the function kobject_uevent().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38022?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38022?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38022 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38022 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-2025-38022 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38022 is a high-severity use after free 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-2025-38022 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-2025-38022/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38022/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38022
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38022
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38022

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38022/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
