Race Condition Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affects Network Scheduler Components
CVE-2025-38477

Currently unrated

Key Information:

Vendor: Linux
Status: Linux
Vendor: CVE Published:; 28 July 2025

What is CVE-2025-38477?

CVE-2025-38477 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's network scheduler components, specifically related to the QFQ (stochastic fair queuing) implementation. This issue arises from a race condition that occurs when multiple threads concurrently access and modify shared data structures, particularly during the processes of aggregating flow queues. As threads interact with these data structures simultaneously, it can lead to critical errors like a NULL dereference or a use-after-free condition. The implications of this vulnerability are significant, as they may undermine the stability and performance of network operations on Linux systems, making them susceptible to unpredictable behavior or crashes. Furthermore, such vulnerabilities can create opportunities for further exploitation if attackers can manipulate affected systems.

Potential impact of CVE-2025-38477

System Instability: The race condition may result in significant instability within the kernel's networking operations, leading to system crashes or erratic network behavior. This can disrupt essential services and applications relying on stable network connectivity.
Data Corruption: The NULL dereference and use-after-free errors can cause data corruption within the affected structures. This may compromise the integrity of network traffic management and lead to loss or corruption of critical data.
Exploitable Conditions: Although there are no known exploitations currently in the wild, the nature of the vulnerability means that it could potentially be leveraged by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or disrupt services, highlighting the need for immediate attention and patching to minimize risks.

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