Mutex Replacement Issue in Linux Kernel Affecting System Stability

CVE-2025-38388

What is CVE-2025-38388?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel arises from the use of a mutex for protecting notifier hashtable accesses, which can lead to kernel warnings when invoked in an atomic context. The mutex can cause unexpected sleeps, generating critical issues that affect the system's overall stability. To rectify this, the mutex should be swapped with an rwlock, facilitating non-blocking read-side operations and allowing multiple readers to access the lock simultaneously. This modification effectively mitigates the risk of contention and potential deadlocks while ensuring that write access remains exclusive, thus maintaining data integrity.

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