# CVE-2025-38089: sunrpc: handle SVC_GARBAGE during svc auth processing as auth error > A remote attacker can crash the Linux kernel by sending a crafted RPC packet that triggers a null pointer dereference in the sunrpc module. - **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 30 Jun 2025 - **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026 - **Also known as:** AZL-64398, BELL-CVE-2025-38089, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38089, GHSA-r4mq-hvhp-3h35, RHSA-2025:12976, RHSA-2025:12977, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38089, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38089 ## 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 (NULL Pointer Dereference) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38089? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `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: 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: - PoC for CVE-2025-38089 (github_poc): https://github.com/keymaker-arch/NFSundown ## 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-2025-38089 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: 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. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38089 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-2025-38089/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38089/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38089 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38089 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38089 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38089/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.