# CVE-2025-38399: scsi: target: Fix NULL pointer dereference in core_scsi3_decode_spec_i_port()

> A NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel SCSI target module allows attackers to cause a system crash via crafted SCSI commands.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 25 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-65720, AZL-73016, BELL-CVE-2025-38399, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38399, GHSA-73j2-c6c6-cr45, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38399, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38399, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38399, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38399, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38399

## What is CVE-2025-38399?

CVE-2025-38399 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 25 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:

scsi: target: Fix NULL pointer dereference in core_scsi3_decode_spec_i_port()

The function core_scsi3_decode_spec_i_port(), in its error code path,
unconditionally calls core_scsi3_lunacl_undepend_item() passing the
dest_se_deve pointer, which may be NULL.

This can lead to a NULL pointer dereference if dest_se_deve remains
unset.

SPC-3 PR SPEC_I_PT: Unable to locate dest_tpg
Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address dfff800000000012
Call trace:
  core_scsi3_lunacl_undepend_item+0x2c/0xf0 [target_core_mod] (P)
  core_scsi3_decode_spec_i_port+0x120c/0x1c30 [target_core_mod]
  core_scsi3_emulate_pro_register+0x6b8/0xcd8 [target_core_mod]
  target_scsi3_emulate_pr_out+0x56c/0x840 [target_core_mod]

Fix this by adding a NULL check before calling
core_scsi3_lunacl_undepend_item()

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38399?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38399?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38399 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38399 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-2025-38399 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38399 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 25 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-2025-38399 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-2025-38399/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38399/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38399
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38399
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38399

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38399/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.