# CVE-2025-38141: dm: fix dm_blk_report_zones

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's device mapper allows a use-after-free when reporting zones, potentially leading to code execution or system crashes.

- **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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38141, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38141, GHSA-r6wx-gh72-c6q5, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38141

## What is CVE-2025-38141?

CVE-2025-38141 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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:

dm: fix dm_blk_report_zones

If dm_get_live_table() returned NULL, dm_put_live_table() was never
called. Also, it is possible that md->zone_revalidate_map will change
while calling this function. Only read it once, so that we are always
using the same value. Otherwise we might miss a call to
dm_put_live_table().

Finally, while md->zone_revalidate_map is set and a process is calling
blk_revalidate_disk_zones() to set up the zone append emulation
resources, it is possible that another process, perhaps triggered by
blkdev_report_zones_ioctl(), will call dm_blk_report_zones(). If
blk_revalidate_disk_zones() fails, these resources can be freed while
the other process is still using them, causing a use-after-free error.

blk_revalidate_disk_zones() will only ever be called when initially
setting up the zone append emulation resources, such as when setting up
a zoned dm-crypt table for the first time. Further table swaps will not
set md->zone_revalidate_map or call blk_revalidate_disk_zones().
However it must be called using the new table (referenced by
md->zone_revalidate_map) and the new queue limits while the DM device is
suspended. dm_blk_report_zones() needs some way to distinguish between a
call from blk_revalidate_disk_zones(), which must be allowed to use
md->zone_revalidate_map to access this not yet activated table, and all
other calls to dm_blk_report_zones(), which should not be allowed while
the device is suspended and cannot use md->zone_revalidate_map, since
the zone resources might be freed by the process currently calling
blk_revalidate_disk_zones().

Solve this by tracking the process that sets md->zone_revalidate_map in
dm_revalidate_zones() and only allowing that process to make use of it
in dm_blk_report_zones().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38141?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38141?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38141 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38141 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-2025-38141 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38141 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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-2025-38141 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-2025-38141/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38141/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38141
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38141
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38141

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38141/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.