CVE-2025-38148 net: phy: mscc: Fix memory leak when using one step timestamping
A memory leak in the Linux kernel's MSCC PHY driver during one-step timestamping can lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2025-38148?
CVE-2025-38148 is a medium-severity denial of service 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:
net: phy: mscc: Fix memory leak when using one step timestamping
Fix memory leak when running one-step timestamping. When running one-step sync timestamping, the HW is configured to insert the TX time into the frame, so there is no reason to keep the skb anymore. As in this case the HW will never generate an interrupt to say that the frame was timestamped, then the frame will never released. Fix this by freeing the frame in case of one-step timestamping.
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38148?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38148?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2025-38148 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38148 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-64511, AZL-72757, BELL-CVE-2025-38148, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38148, GHSA-rv46-hcfv-qpvx, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38148 and 4 more.