CVE-2025-38053: idpf: fix null-ptr-deref in idpf_features_check
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2025-38053 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.19% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 8.9% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 37 · Related 34Timeline
- 18-06-2025PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 11-05-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: idpf: fix null-ptr-deref in idpf_features_check idpf_features_check is used to validate the TX packet. skb header length is compared with the hardware supported value received from the device control plane. The value is stored in the adapter structure and to access it, vport pointer is used. During reset all the vports are released and the vport pointer that the netdev private structure points to is NULL. To avoid null-ptr-deref, store the max header length value in netdev private structure. This also helps to cache the value and avoid accessing adapter pointer in hot path. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000068 ... RIP: 0010:idpf_features_check+0x6d/0xe0 [idpf] Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die+0x23/0x70 ? page_fault_oops+0x154/0x520 ? exc_page_fault+0x76/0x190 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30 ? idpf_features_check+0x6d/0xe0 [idpf] netif_skb_features+0x88/0x310 validate_xmit_skb+0x2a/0x2b0 validate_xmit_skb_list+0x4c/0x70 sch_direct_xmit+0x19d/0x3a0 __dev_queue_xmit+0xb74/0xe70 ...
CVSS metrics
4 scores · 3 sources · 2 versions- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated5.5MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated5.5MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.19%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
9%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
No change 0.00 pp
From 0.19% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu120 products
- linux< 6.8.0-100.100
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws< 6.8.0-1046.49
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
- linux≥ a251eee62133774cf35ff829041377e721ef9c8c, < f6f5e9c8cb680c3cb9771fd9fa114319cbc4f514 | ≥ a251eee62133774cf35ff829041377e721ef9c8c, < bf1e751c5a5611aa037ab44cca955c141eb68dcc | ≥ a251eee62133774cf35ff829041377e721ef9c8c, < 2dabe349f7882ff1407a784d54d8541909329088 | 6.7
- linux_kernel≥ 6.7, < 6.12.31 | ≥ 6.13, < 6.14.9 | 6.15:rc1 | 6.15:rc2 | 6.15:rc3 | 6.15:rc4 | 6.15:rc5 | 6.15:rc6 | 6.15:rc7
Debian1 product
- linux< 6.12.32-1
3 vendors · 123 products
