CVE-2025-38471 tls: always refresh the queue when reading sock
A use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel TLS module allows attackers to cause a system crash or potentially execute arbitrary code.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2025-38471?
CVE-2025-38471 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 28 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:
tls: always refresh the queue when reading sock
After recent changes in net-next TCP compacts skbs much more aggressively. This unearthed a bug in TLS where we may try to operate on an old skb when checking if all skbs in the queue have matching decrypt state and geometry.
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tls_strp_check_rcv+0x898/0x9a0 [tls] (net/tls/tls_strp.c:436 net/tls/tls_strp.c:530 net/tls/tls_strp.c:544) Read of size 4 at addr ffff888013085750 by task tls/13529
CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 13529 Comm: tls Not tainted 6.16.0-rc5-virtme Call Trace: kasan_report+0xca/0x100 tls_strp_check_rcv+0x898/0x9a0 [tls] tls_rx_rec_wait+0x2c9/0x8d0 [tls] tls_sw_recvmsg+0x40f/0x1aa0 [tls] inet_recvmsg+0x1c3/0x1f0
Always reload the queue, fast path is to have the record in the queue when we wake, anyway (IOW the path going down "if !strp->stm.full_len").
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38471?
It affects 2 products.
Linux distribution packages (33)
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1 Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_6 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1-debuginfo Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_6 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-570_17_1-debugsource Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_6 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_104_1 Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_104_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_104_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_117_1 Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_117_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_117_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_52_1 Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-14.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_52_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-14.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_52_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-14.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_79_1 Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_79_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_79_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_92_1 Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_92_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-284_92_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_2 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1 Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-12.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-12.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_13_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-12.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1 Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_31_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-10.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1 Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_44_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-8.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1 Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_55_1-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-6.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2 Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2-debuginfo Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_4 |
kpatch-patch-5_14_0-427_68_2-debugsource Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.4::baseos | All versions | 0:1-3.el9_4 |
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38471?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2025-38471 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38471 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-65949, BELL-CVE-2025-38471, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38471, GHSA-8r96-vh27-xgf4, RHSA-2025:14497, RHSA-2025:14599 and 4 more.