# CVE-2025-38131: coresight: prevent deactivate active config while enabling the config

> A race condition in the Linux kernel Coresight driver allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 3 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-64538, BELL-CVE-2025-38131, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38131, GHSA-vrjc-hpch-xwfv, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38131, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38131, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38131, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38131

## What is CVE-2025-38131?

CVE-2025-38131 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Jul 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:

coresight: prevent deactivate active config while enabling the config

While enable active config via cscfg_csdev_enable_active_config(),
active config could be deactivated via configfs' sysfs interface.
This could make UAF issue in below scenario:

CPU0                                          CPU1
(sysfs enable)                                load module
                                              cscfg_load_config_sets()
                                              activate config. // sysfs
                                              (sys_active_cnt == 1)
...
cscfg_csdev_enable_active_config()
lock(csdev->cscfg_csdev_lock)
// here load config activate by CPU1
unlock(csdev->cscfg_csdev_lock)

                                              deactivate config // sysfs
                                              (sys_activec_cnt == 0)
                                              cscfg_unload_config_sets()
                                              unload module

// access to config_desc which freed
// while unloading module.
cscfg_csdev_enable_config

To address this, use cscfg_config_desc's active_cnt as a reference count
 which will be holded when
    - activate the config.
    - enable the activated config.
and put the module reference when config_active_cnt == 0.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38131?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38131?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38131 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38131 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-2025-38131 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38131 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Jul 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-2025-38131 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-2025-38131/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38131/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38131
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38131
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38131

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38131/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.