# CVE-2025-38429: bus: mhi: ep: Update read pointer only after buffer is written

> A race condition in the Linux kernel MHI endpoint driver allows hosts to access uninitialized memory, leading to data corruption.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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:** 25 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38429, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38429, GHSA-f5fc-m65h-gr9j, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38429, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38429, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38429

## What is CVE-2025-38429?

CVE-2025-38429 is a critical vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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:

bus: mhi: ep: Update read pointer only after buffer is written

Inside mhi_ep_ring_add_element, the read pointer (rd_offset) is updated
before the buffer is written, potentially causing race conditions where
the host sees an updated read pointer before the buffer is actually
written. Updating rd_offset prematurely can lead to the host accessing
an uninitialized or incomplete element, resulting in data corruption.

Invoke the buffer write before updating rd_offset to ensure the element
is fully written before signaling its availability.

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38429?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38429?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38429 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38429 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-2025-38429 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38429 is a critical vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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-2025-38429 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-2025-38429/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38429/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38429
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38429
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38429

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38429/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.