# CVE-2025-38227: media: vidtv: Terminating the subsequent process of initialization failure > A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel vidtv driver allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted media operations. - **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:** AZL-64779, BELL-CVE-2025-38227, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38227, GHSA-3287-mf6c-3f29, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38227, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38227, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38227, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38227, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38227 ## What is CVE-2025-38227? CVE-2025-38227 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: media: vidtv: Terminating the subsequent process of initialization failure syzbot reported a slab-use-after-free Read in vidtv_mux_init. [1] After PSI initialization fails, the si member is accessed again, resulting in this uaf. After si initialization fails, the subsequent process needs to be exited. [1] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in vidtv_mux_pid_ctx_init drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_mux.c:78 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in vidtv_mux_init+0xac2/0xbe0 drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_mux.c:524 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88802fa42acc by task syz.2.37/6059 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 6059 Comm: syz.2.37 Not tainted 6.14.0-rc5-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 02/12/2025 Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x116/0x1f0 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:408 [inline] print_report+0xc3/0x670 mm/kasan/report.c:521 kasan_report+0xd9/0x110 mm/kasan/report.c:634 vidtv_mux_pid_ctx_init drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_mux.c:78 vidtv_mux_init+0xac2/0xbe0 drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_mux.c:524 vidtv_start_streaming drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_bridge.c:194 vidtv_start_feed drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_bridge.c:239 dmx_section_feed_start_filtering drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_demux.c:973 dvb_dmxdev_feed_start drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:508 [inline] dvb_dmxdev_feed_restart.isra.0 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:537 dvb_dmxdev_filter_stop+0x2b4/0x3a0 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:564 dvb_dmxdev_filter_free drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:840 [inline] dvb_demux_release+0x92/0x550 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:1246 __fput+0x3ff/0xb70 fs/file_table.c:464 task_work_run+0x14e/0x250 kernel/task_work.c:227 exit_task_work include/linux/task_work.h:40 [inline] do_exit+0xad8/0x2d70 kernel/exit.c:938 do_group_exit+0xd3/0x2a0 kernel/exit.c:1087 __do_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1098 [inline] __se_sys_exit_group kernel/exit.c:1096 [inline] __x64_sys_exit_group+0x3e/0x50 kernel/exit.c:1096 x64_sys_call+0x151f/0x1720 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:232 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcd/0x250 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0x7f871d58d169 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0x7f871d58d13f. RSP: 002b:00007fff4b19a788 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 00000000000000e7 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 00007f871d58d169 RDX: 0000000000000064 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: 00007fff4b19a7ec R08: 0000000b4b19a87f R09: 00000000000927c0 R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000003 R13: 00000000000927c0 R14: 000000000001d553 R15: 00007fff4b19a840 Allocated by task 6059: kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60 mm/kasan/common.c:47 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 mm/kasan/common.c:68 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:377 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 mm/kasan/common.c:394 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:901 [inline] kzalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:1037 [inline] vidtv_psi_pat_table_init drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_psi.c:970 vidtv_channel_si_init drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_channel.c:423 vidtv_mux_init drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_mux.c:519 vidtv_start_streaming drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_bridge.c:194 vidtv_start_feed drivers/media/test-drivers/vidtv/vidtv_bridge.c:239 dmx_section_feed_start_filtering drivers/media/dvb-core/dvb_demux.c:973 dvb_dmxdev_feed_start drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:508 [inline] dvb_dmxdev_feed_restart.isra.0 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:537 dvb_dmxdev_filter_stop+0x2b4/0x3a0 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:564 dvb_dmxdev_filter_free drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:840 [inline] dvb_demux_release+0x92/0x550 drivers/media/dvb-core/dmxdev.c:1246 __fput+0x3ff/0xb70 fs/file_tabl ---truncated--- Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38227? It affects 2 products. Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2025-38227? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2025-38227 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38227 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-2025-38227 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2025-38227 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-2025-38227 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-2025-38227/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38227/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38227 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38227 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38227 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38227/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.