# CVE-2025-38212: ipc: fix to protect IPCS lookups using RCU

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel IPC subsystem allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via improper RCU protection.

- **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:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-64776, BELL-CVE-2025-38212, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38212, GHSA-6c9x-j9r2-vpw8, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38212, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38212, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38212, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38212, SUSE-SU-2025:03105-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03110-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03146-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03149-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03183-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03214-1, SUSE-SU-2025:03221-1, SUSE-SU-2025:20708-1, SUSE-SU-2025:20765-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38212

## What is CVE-2025-38212?

CVE-2025-38212 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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:

ipc: fix to protect IPCS lookups using RCU

syzbot reported that it discovered a use-after-free vulnerability, [0]

[0]: https://lore.kernel.org/all/67af13f8.050a0220.21dd3.0038.GAE@google.com/

idr_for_each() is protected by rwsem, but this is not enough.  If it is
not protected by RCU read-critical region, when idr_for_each() calls
radix_tree_node_free() through call_rcu() to free the radix_tree_node
structure, the node will be freed immediately, and when reading the next
node in radix_tree_for_each_slot(), the already freed memory may be read.

Therefore, we need to add code to make sure that idr_for_each() is
protected within the RCU read-critical region when we call it in
shm_destroy_orphaned().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38212?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP5_Update_70` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 | All versions | 3-2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP3_Update_59` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP3 | All versions | 4-150300.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP4_Update_42` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 | All versions | 3-150400.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_13` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | All versions | 3-150600.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_13` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | All versions | 3-150600.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 3-150700.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_2` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 3-150700.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-MICRO-6-0_Update_9` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | All versions | 4-1.2 |
| `kernel-livepatch-MICRO-6-0_Update_9` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | All versions | 4-1.2 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38212?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38212 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38212 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-2025-38212 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38212 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, 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-2025-38212 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-2025-38212/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38212/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38212
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38212
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38212

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38212/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.