# CVE-2025-38514: rxrpc: Fix oops due to non-existence of prealloc backlog struct

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's rxrpc module allows local attackers to cause a system crash by triggering an oops.

- **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:** 16 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-66386, AZL-75087, BELL-CVE-2025-38514, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38514, GHSA-vc22-mx78-4mgj, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38514, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38514, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-38514, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38514, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38514

## What is CVE-2025-38514?

CVE-2025-38514 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 16 Aug 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:

rxrpc: Fix oops due to non-existence of prealloc backlog struct

If an AF_RXRPC service socket is opened and bound, but calls are
preallocated, then rxrpc_alloc_incoming_call() will oops because the
rxrpc_backlog struct doesn't get allocated until the first preallocation is
made.

Fix this by returning NULL from rxrpc_alloc_incoming_call() if there is no
backlog struct.  This will cause the incoming call to be aborted.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38514?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38514?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38514 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38514 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38514 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38514 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 16 Aug 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-2025-38514 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-2025-38514/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38514/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38514
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38514
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38514

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38514/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.