CVE-2025-38544 rxrpc: Fix bug due to prealloc collision
A bug in the Linux kernel's rxrpc module causes assertion failures during error handling, potentially leading to a denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2025-38544?
CVE-2025-38544 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 16 Aug 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:
rxrpc: Fix bug due to prealloc collision
When userspace is using AF_RXRPC to provide a server, it has to preallocate incoming calls and assign to them call IDs that will be used to thread related recvmsg() and sendmsg() together. The preallocated call IDs will automatically be attached to calls as they come in until the pool is empty.
To the kernel, the call IDs are just arbitrary numbers, but userspace can use the call ID to hold a pointer to prepared structs. In any case, the user isn't permitted to create two calls with the same call ID (call IDs become available again when the call ends) and EBADSLT should result from sendmsg() if an attempt is made to preallocate a call with an in-use call ID.
However, the cleanup in the error handling will trigger both assertions in rxrpc_cleanup_call() because the call isn't marked complete and isn't marked as having been released.
Fix this by setting the call state in rxrpc_service_prealloc_one() and then marking it as being released before calling the cleanup function.
Weakness: CWE-617
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38544?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38544?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-38544 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38544 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-66380, AZL-70457, BELL-CVE-2025-38544, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38544, GHSA-2fgf-j87m-qgrf, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38544 and 4 more.