# CVE-2025-38074: vhost-scsi: protect vq->log_used with vq->mutex

> A race condition in the Linux kernel vhost-scsi driver allows invalid memory writes, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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:** BELL-CVE-2025-38074, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38074, GHSA-7p5h-9pp6-5wqc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38074, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38074, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38074, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38074, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38074

## What is CVE-2025-38074?

CVE-2025-38074 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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:

vhost-scsi: protect vq->log_used with vq->mutex

The vhost-scsi completion path may access vq->log_base when vq->log_used is
already set to false.

    vhost-thread                       QEMU-thread

vhost_scsi_complete_cmd_work()
-> vhost_add_used()
   -> vhost_add_used_n()
      if (unlikely(vq->log_used))
                                      QEMU disables vq->log_used
                                      via VHOST_SET_VRING_ADDR.
                                      mutex_lock(&vq->mutex);
                                      vq->log_used = false now!
                                      mutex_unlock(&vq->mutex);

				      QEMU gfree(vq->log_base)
        log_used()
        -> log_write(vq->log_base)

Assuming the VMM is QEMU. The vq->log_base is from QEMU userpace and can be
reclaimed via gfree(). As a result, this causes invalid memory writes to
QEMU userspace.

The control queue path has the same issue.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38074?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38074?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38074 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38074 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38074 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38074 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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-2025-38074 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2025-38074/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38074/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38074
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38074
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38074

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38074/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.