# CVE-2025-38150: af_packet: move notifier's packet_dev_mc out of rcu critical section

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's af_packet module can cause a sleeping function call in invalid context, leading to a system crash.

- **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-2025-38150, GHSA-2x7p-gc2x-3v72, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38150

## What is CVE-2025-38150?

CVE-2025-38150 is a high-severity 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:

af_packet: move notifier's packet_dev_mc out of rcu critical section

Syzkaller reports the following issue:

 BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/mutex.c:578
 __mutex_lock+0x106/0xe80 kernel/locking/mutex.c:746
 team_change_rx_flags+0x38/0x220 drivers/net/team/team_core.c:1781
 dev_change_rx_flags net/core/dev.c:9145 [inline]
 __dev_set_promiscuity+0x3f8/0x590 net/core/dev.c:9189
 netif_set_promiscuity+0x50/0xe0 net/core/dev.c:9201
 dev_set_promiscuity+0x126/0x260 net/core/dev_api.c:286 packet_dev_mc net/packet/af_packet.c:3698 [inline]
 packet_dev_mclist_delete net/packet/af_packet.c:3722 [inline]
 packet_notifier+0x292/0xa60 net/packet/af_packet.c:4247
 notifier_call_chain+0x1b3/0x3e0 kernel/notifier.c:85
 call_netdevice_notifiers_extack net/core/dev.c:2214 [inline]
 call_netdevice_notifiers net/core/dev.c:2228 [inline]
 unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x15d8/0x2330 net/core/dev.c:11972
 rtnl_delete_link net/core/rtnetlink.c:3522 [inline]
 rtnl_dellink+0x488/0x710 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3564
 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x7cf/0xb70 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6955
 netlink_rcv_skb+0x219/0x490 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2534

Calling `PACKET_ADD_MEMBERSHIP` on an ops-locked device can trigger
the `NETDEV_UNREGISTER` notifier, which may require disabling promiscuous
and/or allmulti mode. Both of these operations require acquiring
the netdev instance lock.

Move the call to `packet_dev_mc` outside of the RCU critical section.
The `mclist` modifications (add, del, flush, unregister) are protected by
the RTNL, not the RCU. The RCU only protects the `sklist` and its
associated `sks`. The delayed operation on the `mclist` entry remains
within the RTNL.

Weakness: CWE-667 (Improper Locking)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38150?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38150?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38150 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38150 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-2025-38150 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38150 is a high-severity 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-2025-38150 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-2025-38150/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38150/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38150
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38150
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38150

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38150/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.