# CVE-2025-38238: scsi: fnic: Fix crash in fnic_wq_cmpl_handler when FDMI times out

> A double-free vulnerability in the fnic SCSI driver causes a kernel crash when FDMI requests time out, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38238, GHSA-xh6p-h9xv-5c64, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38238

## What is CVE-2025-38238?

CVE-2025-38238 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 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:

scsi: fnic: Fix crash in fnic_wq_cmpl_handler when FDMI times out

When both the RHBA and RPA FDMI requests time out, fnic reuses a frame to
send ABTS for each of them. On send completion, this causes an attempt to
free the same frame twice that leads to a crash.

Fix crash by allocating separate frames for RHBA and RPA, and modify ABTS
logic accordingly.

Tested by checking MDS for FDMI information.

Tested by using instrumented driver to:

 - Drop PLOGI response
 - Drop RHBA response
 - Drop RPA response
 - Drop RHBA and RPA response
 - Drop PLOGI response + ABTS response
 - Drop RHBA response + ABTS response
 - Drop RPA response + ABTS response
 - Drop RHBA and RPA response + ABTS response for both of them

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38238?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38238?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38238 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38238 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-2025-38238 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38238 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 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-2025-38238 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-2025-38238/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38238/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38238
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38238
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38238

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38238/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.