# CVE-2025-38433: riscv: fix runtime constant support for nommu kernels

> A logic error in RISC-V nommu kernel patching causes invalid pointers and kernel panics, requiring a patch to prevent denial of service.

- **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-2025-38433, GHSA-w922-jv62-78r5, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38433

## What is CVE-2025-38433?

CVE-2025-38433 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:

riscv: fix runtime constant support for nommu kernels

the `__runtime_fixup_32` function does not handle the case where `val` is
zero correctly (as might occur when patching a nommu kernel and referring
to a physical address below the 4GiB boundary whose upper 32 bits are all
zero) because nothing in the existing logic prevents the code from taking
the `else` branch of both nop-checks and emitting two `nop` instructions.

This leaves random garbage in the register that is supposed to receive the
upper 32 bits of the pointer instead of zero that when combined with the
value for the lower 32 bits yields an invalid pointer and causes a kernel
panic when that pointer is eventually accessed.

The author clearly considered the fact that if the `lui` is converted into
a `nop` that the second instruction needs to be adjusted to become an `li`
instead of an `addi`, hence introducing the `addi_insn_mask` variable, but
didn't follow that logic through fully to the case where the `else` branch
executes. To fix it just adjust the logic to ensure that the second `else`
branch is not taken if the first instruction will be patched to a `nop`.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38433?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38433?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38433 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38433 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-2025-38433 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38433 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-2025-38433 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-2025-38433/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38433/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38433
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38433
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38433

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38433/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.