# CVE-2025-38730: io_uring/net: commit partial buffers on retry

> A local attacker can cause memory corruption or denial of service in the Linux kernel by exploiting improper buffer handling in io_uring network operations.

- **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:** 4 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-66830, BELL-CVE-2025-38730, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38730, GHSA-g87f-g973-9jmq, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38730, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38730

## What is CVE-2025-38730?

CVE-2025-38730 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Sep 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:

io_uring/net: commit partial buffers on retry

Ring provided buffers are potentially only valid within the single
execution context in which they were acquired. io_uring deals with this
and invalidates them on retry. But on the networking side, if
MSG_WAITALL is set, or if the socket is of the streaming type and too
little was processed, then it will hang on to the buffer rather than
recycle or commit it. This is problematic for two reasons:

1) If someone unregisters the provided buffer ring before a later retry,
   then the req->buf_list will no longer be valid.

2) If multiple sockers are using the same buffer group, then multiple
   receives can consume the same memory. This can cause data corruption
   in the application, as either receive could land in the same
   userspace buffer.

Fix this by disallowing partial retries from pinning a provided buffer
across multiple executions, if ring provided buffers are used.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38730?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38730?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38730 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38730 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38730 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38730 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Sep 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-2025-38730 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2025-38730/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38730/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38730
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38730
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38730

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38730/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.