CVE-2025-38566: sunrpc: fix handling of server side tls alerts

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2025-38566 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.63% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 50.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 19-08-2025
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 15-10-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sunrpc: fix handling of server side tls alerts Scott Mayhew discovered a security exploit in NFS over TLS in tls_alert_recv() due to its assumption it can read data from the msg iterator's kvec.. kTLS implementation splits TLS non-data record payload between the control message buffer (which includes the type such as TLS aler or TLS cipher change) and the rest of the payload (say TLS alert's level/description) which goes into the msg payload buffer. This patch proposes to rework how control messages are setup and used by sock_recvmsg(). If no control message structure is setup, kTLS layer will read and process TLS data record types. As soon as it encounters a TLS control message, it would return an error. At that point, NFS can setup a kvec backed msg buffer and read in the control message such as a TLS alert. Msg iterator can advance the kvec pointer as a part of the copy process thus we need to revert the iterator before calling into the tls_alert_recv.

• CWE-754Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional ConditionsThe product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.