CVE-2025-38617 net/packet: fix a race in packet_set_ring() and packet_notifier()
A race condition in the Linux kernel's packet socket implementation can lead to a denial of service when processing network device events.
- 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-2025-38617?
CVE-2025-38617 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 22 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:
net/packet: fix a race in packet_set_ring() and packet_notifier()
When packet_set_ring() releases po->bind_lock, another thread can run packet_notifier() and process an NETDEV_UP event.
This race and the fix are both similar to that of commit 15fe076edea7 ("net/packet: fix a race in packet_bind() and packet_notifier()").
There too the packet_notifier NETDEV_UP event managed to run while a po->bind_lock critical section had to be temporarily released. And the fix was similarly to temporarily set po->num to zero to keep the socket unhooked until the lock is retaken.
The po->bind_lock in packet_set_ring and packet_notifier precede the introduction of git history.
Weakness: CWE-362
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38617?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38617?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-38617 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38617 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-66608, AZL-73611, BELL-CVE-2025-38617, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38617, GHSA-g6xr-fxvq-ffp4, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38617 and 5 more.