# CVE-2025-38264: nvme-tcp: sanitize request list handling

> A malicious R2T PDU can inject a loop in request list processing, causing a denial of service in the Linux kernel NVMe-TCP driver.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-64832, AZL-70433, BELL-CVE-2025-38264, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38264, GHSA-rhg9-f586-q28w, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38264, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38264, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38264, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38264, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38264

## What is CVE-2025-38264?

CVE-2025-38264 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

nvme-tcp: sanitize request list handling

Validate the request in nvme_tcp_handle_r2t() to ensure it's not part of
any list, otherwise a malicious R2T PDU might inject a loop in request
list processing.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38264?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38264?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38264 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38264 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-2025-38264 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38264 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 9 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38264 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-2025-38264/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38264/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38264
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38264
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38264

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38264/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.