# CVE-2025-38271: net: prevent a NULL deref in rtnl_create_link()

> A NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel network subsystem can cause a system crash when creating network links with shaper support enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 10 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38271, GHSA-v9wx-3hgc-c95m, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38271

## What is CVE-2025-38271?

CVE-2025-38271 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 10 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:

net: prevent a NULL deref in rtnl_create_link()

At the time rtnl_create_link() is running, dev->netdev_ops is NULL,
we must not use netdev_lock_ops() or risk a NULL deref if
CONFIG_NET_SHAPER is defined.

Use netif_set_group() instead of dev_set_group().

 RIP: 0010:netdev_need_ops_lock include/net/netdev_lock.h:33 [inline]
 RIP: 0010:netdev_lock_ops include/net/netdev_lock.h:41 [inline]
 RIP: 0010:dev_set_group+0xc0/0x230 net/core/dev_api.c:82
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
  rtnl_create_link+0x748/0xd10 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3674
  rtnl_newlink_create+0x25c/0xb00 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3813
  __rtnl_newlink net/core/rtnetlink.c:3940 [inline]
  rtnl_newlink+0x16d6/0x1c70 net/core/rtnetlink.c:4055
  rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x7cf/0xb70 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6944
  netlink_rcv_skb+0x208/0x470 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2534
  netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1313 [inline]
  netlink_unicast+0x75b/0x8d0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339
  netlink_sendmsg+0x805/0xb30 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1883
  sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:712 [inline]

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38271?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38271?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38271 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38271 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-2025-38271 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38271 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 10 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-2025-38271 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-2025-38271/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38271/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38271
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38271
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38271

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38271/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.