# CVE-2025-38555: usb: gadget : fix use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel USB gadget driver allows local attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 19 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38555, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38555, GHSA-4rg2-56r3-4j7p, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38555, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38555, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-38555, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38555, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38555, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38555

## What is CVE-2025-38555?

CVE-2025-38555 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 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:

usb: gadget : fix use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup()

1. In func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_os_desc_req_prepare():
if kmalloc fails, the pointer cdev->os_desc_req will be freed but not
set to NULL. Then it will return a failure to the upper-level function.
2. in func configfs_composite_bind() -> composite_dev_cleanup():
it will checks whether cdev->os_desc_req is NULL. If it is not NULL, it
will attempt to use it.This will lead to a use-after-free issue.

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0
Read of size 8 at addr 0000004827837a00 by task init/1

CPU: 10 PID: 1 Comm: init Tainted: G           O      5.10.97-oh #1
 kasan_report+0x188/0x1cc
 __asan_load8+0xb4/0xbc
 composite_dev_cleanup+0xf4/0x2c0
 configfs_composite_bind+0x210/0x7ac
 udc_bind_to_driver+0xb4/0x1ec
 usb_gadget_probe_driver+0xec/0x21c
 gadget_dev_desc_UDC_store+0x264/0x27c

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38555?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38555?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38555 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38555 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38555 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38555 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 19 Aug 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-2025-38555 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-2025-38555/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38555/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38555
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38555
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38555

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38555/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.