CVE-2025-38089 sunrpc: handle SVC_GARBAGE during svc auth processing as auth error

Critical 9.8 Published 30 Jun 2025 Updated 15 Oct 2026

A remote attacker can crash the Linux kernel by sending a crafted RPC packet that triggers a null pointer dereference in the sunrpc module.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2025-38089?

CVE-2025-38089 is a critical vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 30 Jun 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

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

sunrpc: handle SVC_GARBAGE during svc auth processing as auth error

tianshuo han reported a remotely-triggerable crash if the client sends a kernel RPC server a specially crafted packet. If decoding the RPC reply fails in such a way that SVC_GARBAGE is returned without setting the rq_accept_statp pointer, then that pointer can be dereferenced and a value stored there.

If it's the first time the thread has processed an RPC, then that pointer will be set to NULL and the kernel will crash. In other cases, it could create a memory scribble.

The server sunrpc code treats a SVC_GARBAGE return from svc_authenticate or pg_authenticate as if it should send a GARBAGE_ARGS reply. RFC 5531 says that if authentication fails that the RPC should be rejected instead with a status of AUTH_ERR.

Handle a SVC_GARBAGE return as an AUTH_ERROR, with a reason of AUTH_BADCRED instead of returning GARBAGE_ARGS in that case. This sidesteps the whole problem of touching the rpc_accept_statp pointer in this situation and avoids the crash.

Weakness: CWE-476

Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38089?

It affects 1 product.

Linux distribution packages (18)

`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_6`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1-debuginfo` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_6`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1-debugsource` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_6`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-11.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1-debuginfo` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-11.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1-debugsource` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-11.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-9.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1-debuginfo` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-9.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1-debugsource` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-9.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-7.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1-debuginfo` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-7.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1-debugsource` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-7.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1-debuginfo` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1-debugsource` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-5.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-2.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2-debuginfo` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-2.el9_4`
`kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2-debugsource` Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos	All versions	`0:1-2.el9_4`

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2025-38089?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2025-38089 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38089 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as AZL-64398, BELL-CVE-2025-38089, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38089, GHSA-r4mq-hvhp-3h35, RHSA-2025:12976, RHSA-2025:12977 and 2 more.