# CVE-2025-38069: PCI: endpoint: pci-epf-test: Fix double free that causes kernel to oops

> A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel PCI endpoint test driver allows a local attacker to cause a kernel oops and 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:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38069, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38069, GHSA-4xrx-36pv-43r3, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38069, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38069, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38069, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38069, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38069

## What is CVE-2025-38069?

CVE-2025-38069 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:

PCI: endpoint: pci-epf-test: Fix double free that causes kernel to oops

Fix a kernel oops found while testing the stm32_pcie Endpoint driver
with handling of PERST# deassertion:

During EP initialization, pci_epf_test_alloc_space() allocates all BARs,
which are further freed if epc_set_bar() fails (for instance, due to no
free inbound window).

However, when pci_epc_set_bar() fails, the error path:

  pci_epc_set_bar() ->
    pci_epf_free_space()

does not clear the previous assignment to epf_test->reg[bar].

Then, if the host reboots, the PERST# deassertion restarts the BAR
allocation sequence with the same allocation failure (no free inbound
window), creating a double free situation since epf_test->reg[bar] was
deallocated and is still non-NULL.

Thus, make sure that pci_epf_alloc_space() and pci_epf_free_space()
invocations are symmetric, and as such, set epf_test->reg[bar] to NULL
when memory is freed.

[kwilczynski: commit log]

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38069?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38069?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38069 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38069 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-2025-38069 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38069 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-2025-38069 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-2025-38069/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38069/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38069
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38069
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38069

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38069/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.