# CVE-2025-38176: binder: fix use-after-free in binderfs_evict_inode() > A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's binderfs allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary 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:** 4 Jul 2025 - **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026 - **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38176, GHSA-vmr3-mc6r-j34f, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38176 ## What is CVE-2025-38176? CVE-2025-38176 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 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: binder: fix use-after-free in binderfs_evict_inode() Running 'stress-ng --binderfs 16 --timeout 300' under KASAN-enabled kernel, I've noticed the following: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 Write of size 8 at addr ffff88807379bc08 by task stress-ng-binde/1699 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1699 Comm: stress-ng-binde Not tainted 6.14.0-rc7-g586de92313fc-dirty #13 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-3.fc41 04/01/2014 Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x1c2/0x2a0 ? __pfx_dump_stack_lvl+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx__printk+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x18c/0x540 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x469/0x540 print_report+0x155/0x840 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x18c/0x540 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x469/0x540 ? __phys_addr+0xba/0x170 ? binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 kasan_report+0x147/0x180 ? binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 binderfs_evict_inode+0x1de/0x2d0 ? __pfx_binderfs_evict_inode+0x10/0x10 evict+0x524/0x9f0 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_evict+0x10/0x10 ? do_raw_spin_unlock+0x4d/0x210 ? _raw_spin_unlock+0x28/0x50 ? iput+0x697/0x9b0 __dentry_kill+0x209/0x660 ? shrink_kill+0x8d/0x2c0 shrink_kill+0xa9/0x2c0 shrink_dentry_list+0x2e0/0x5e0 shrink_dcache_parent+0xa2/0x2c0 ? __pfx_shrink_dcache_parent+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_do_raw_spin_lock+0x10/0x10 do_one_tree+0x23/0xe0 shrink_dcache_for_umount+0xa0/0x170 generic_shutdown_super+0x67/0x390 kill_litter_super+0x76/0xb0 binderfs_kill_super+0x44/0x90 deactivate_locked_super+0xb9/0x130 cleanup_mnt+0x422/0x4c0 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x9d/0x150 task_work_run+0x1d2/0x260 ? __pfx_task_work_run+0x10/0x10 resume_user_mode_work+0x52/0x60 syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x9a/0x120 do_syscall_64+0x103/0x210 ? asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x1a/0x20 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0xcac57b Code: c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 40 00 f3 0f 1e fa 31 f6 e9 05 00 00 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 f3 0f 1e fa b8 RSP: 002b:00007ffecf4226a8 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 00000000000000a6 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 00007ffecf422720 RCX: 0000000000cac57b RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 00007ffecf422850 RBP: 00007ffecf422850 R08: 0000000028d06ab1 R09: 7fffffffffffffff R10: 3fffffffffffffff R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 00007ffecf422718 R13: 00007ffecf422710 R14: 00007f478f87b658 R15: 00007ffecf422830 Allocated by task 1705: kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 __kasan_kmalloc+0x8f/0xa0 __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x213/0x3e0 binderfs_binder_device_create+0x183/0xa80 binder_ctl_ioctl+0x138/0x190 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x120/0x1b0 do_syscall_64+0xf6/0x210 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 1705: kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 kasan_save_free_info+0x46/0x50 __kasan_slab_free+0x62/0x70 kfree+0x194/0x440 evict+0x524/0x9f0 do_unlinkat+0x390/0x5b0 __x64_sys_unlink+0x47/0x50 do_syscall_64+0xf6/0x210 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f This 'stress-ng' workload causes the concurrent deletions from 'binder_devices' and so requires full-featured synchronization to prevent list corruption. I've found this issue independently but pretty sure that syzbot did the same, so Reported-by: and Closes: should be applicable here as well. Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38176? It affects 1 product. Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2025-38176? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2025-38176 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38176 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-2025-38176 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2025-38176 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 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-2025-38176 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-2025-38176/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38176/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38176 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38176 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38176 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38176/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.