# CVE-2025-38397: nvme-multipath: fix suspicious RCU usage warning > A suspicious RCU usage warning in the Linux kernel NVMe multipath driver can lead to system instability or crashes during NVMe over TCP operations. - **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:** 25 Jul 2025 - **Updated:** 11 May 2026 - **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38397, GHSA-cfvr-4cm5-x2r3, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38397 ## What is CVE-2025-38397? CVE-2025-38397 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 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: nvme-multipath: fix suspicious RCU usage warning When I run the NVME over TCP test in virtme-ng, I get the following "suspicious RCU usage" warning in nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link(): ''' [ 5.024557][ T44] nvmet: Created nvm controller 1 for subsystem nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp for NQN nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77. [ 5.027401][ T183] nvme nvme0: creating 2 I/O queues. [ 5.029017][ T183] nvme nvme0: mapped 2/0/0 default/read/poll queues. [ 5.032587][ T183] nvme nvme0: new ctrl: NQN "nqn.2025-06.org.nvmexpress.mptcp", addr 127.0.0.1:4420, hostnqn: nqn.2014-08.org.nvmexpress:uuid:f7f6b5e0-ff97-4894-98ac-c85309e0bc77 [ 5.042214][ T25] [ 5.042440][ T25] ============================= [ 5.042579][ T25] WARNING: suspicious RCU usage [ 5.042705][ T25] 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 Not tainted [ 5.042812][ T25] ----------------------------- [ 5.042934][ T25] drivers/nvme/host/multipath.c:1203 RCU-list traversed in non-reader section!! [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043111][ T25] other info that might help us debug this: [ 5.043111][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] [ 5.043341][ T25] rcu_scheduler_active = 2, debug_locks = 1 [ 5.043502][ T25] 3 locks held by kworker/u9:0/25: [ 5.043615][ T25] #0: ffff888008730948 ((wq_completion)async){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x7ed/0x1350 [ 5.043830][ T25] #1: ffffc900001afd40 ((work_completion)(&entry->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0xcf3/0x1350 [ 5.044084][ T25] #2: ffff888013ee0020 (&head->srcu){.+.+}-{0:0}, at: nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0xb4/0x3a0 [ 5.044300][ T25] [ 5.044300][ T25] stack backtrace: [ 5.044439][ T25] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 25 Comm: kworker/u9:0 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc3+ #23 PREEMPT(full) [ 5.044441][ T25] Hardware name: Bochs Bochs, BIOS Bochs 01/01/2011 [ 5.044442][ T25] Workqueue: async async_run_entry_fn [ 5.044445][ T25] Call Trace: [ 5.044446][ T25] [ 5.044449][ T25] dump_stack_lvl+0x6f/0xb0 [ 5.044453][ T25] lockdep_rcu_suspicious.cold+0x4f/0xb1 [ 5.044457][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_sysfs_link.part.0+0x2fb/0x3a0 [ 5.044459][ T25] ? queue_work_on+0x90/0xf0 [ 5.044461][ T25] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x78/0x110 [ 5.044466][ T25] nvme_mpath_set_live+0x1e9/0x4f0 [ 5.044470][ T25] nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x240/0x2f0 [ 5.044472][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_mpath_add_disk+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044475][ T25] ? add_disk_fwnode+0x361/0x580 [ 5.044480][ T25] nvme_alloc_ns+0x81c/0x17c0 [ 5.044483][ T25] ? kasan_quarantine_put+0x104/0x240 [ 5.044487][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_alloc_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044495][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_find_get_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044496][ T25] ? rcu_read_lock_any_held+0x45/0xa0 [ 5.044498][ T25] ? validate_chain+0x232/0x4f0 [ 5.044503][ T25] nvme_scan_ns+0x4c8/0x810 [ 5.044506][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044508][ T25] ? find_held_lock+0x2b/0x80 [ 5.044512][ T25] ? ktime_get+0x16d/0x220 [ 5.044517][ T25] ? kvm_clock_get_cycles+0x18/0x30 [ 5.044520][ T25] ? __pfx_nvme_scan_ns_async+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044522][ T25] async_run_entry_fn+0x97/0x560 [ 5.044523][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044526][ T25] process_one_work+0xd3c/0x1350 [ 5.044532][ T25] ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044536][ T25] ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 [ 5.044539][ T25] worker_thread+0x4da/0xd50 [ 5.044545][ T25] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044546][ T25] kthread+0x356/0x5c0 [ 5.044548][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.044549][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044552][ T25] ? __lock_release.isra.0+0x5d/0x180 [ 5.044553][ T25] ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x2e0 [ 5.044555][ T25] ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 [ 5.044557][ T25] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 [ 5.04 ---truncated--- ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38397? It affects 1 product. Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2025-38397? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2025-38397 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38397 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-2025-38397 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2025-38397 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 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-2025-38397 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-2025-38397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38397/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38397 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38397 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38397 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38397/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.