CVE-2025-38400

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfs: Clean up /proc/net/rpc/nfs when nfs_fs_proc_net_init() fails. syzbot reported a warning below [1] following a fault injection in nfs_fs_proc_net_init(). [0] When nfs_fs_proc_net_init() fails, /proc/net/rpc/nfs is not removed. Later, rpc_proc_exit() tries to remove /proc/net/rpc, and the warning is logged as the directory is not empty. Let's handle the error of nfs_fs_proc_net_init() properly. [0]: FAULT_INJECTION: forcing a failure. name failslab, interval 1, probability 0, space 0, times 0 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 6120 Comm: syz.2.27 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc1-syzkaller-00010-g2c4a1f3fe03e #0 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 05/07/2025 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:123) should_fail_ex (lib/fault-inject.c:73 lib/fault-inject.c:174) should_failslab (mm/failslab.c:46) kmem_cache_alloc_noprof (mm/slub.c:4178 mm/slub.c:4204) __proc_create (fs/proc/generic.c:427) proc_create_reg (fs/proc/generic.c:554) proc_create_net_data (fs/proc/proc_net.c:120) nfs_fs_proc_net_init (fs/nfs/client.c:1409) nfs_net_init (fs/nfs/inode.c:2600) ops_init (net/core/net_namespace.c:138) setup_net (net/core/net_namespace.c:443) copy_net_ns (net/core/net_namespace.c:576) create_new_namespaces (kernel/nsproxy.c:110) unshare_nsproxy_namespaces (kernel/nsproxy.c:218 (discriminator 4)) ksys_unshare (kernel/fork.c:3123) __x64_sys_unshare (kernel/fork.c:3190) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:130) </TASK> [1]: remove_proc_entry: removing non-empty directory 'net/rpc', leaking at least 'nfs' WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 6120 at fs/proc/generic.c:727 remove_proc_entry+0x45e/0x530 fs/proc/generic.c:727 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 6120 Comm: syz.2.27 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc1-syzkaller-00010-g2c4a1f3fe03e #0 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 05/07/2025 RIP: 0010:remove_proc_entry+0x45e/0x530 fs/proc/generic.c:727 Code: 3c 02 00 0f 85 85 00 00 00 48 8b 93 d8 00 00 00 4d 89 f0 4c 89 e9 48 c7 c6 40 ba a2 8b 48 c7 c7 60 b9 a2 8b e8 33 81 1d ff 90 <0f> 0b 90 90 e9 5f fe ff ff e8 04 69 5e ff 90 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 RSP: 0018:ffffc90003637b08 EFLAGS: 00010282 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff88805f534140 RCX: ffffffff817a92c8 RDX: ffff88807da99e00 RSI: ffffffff817a92d5 RDI: 0000000000000001 RBP: ffff888033431ac0 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000001 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff888033431a00 R13: ffff888033431ae4 R14: ffff888033184724 R15: dffffc0000000000 FS: 0000555580328500(0000) GS:ffff888124a62000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f71733743e0 CR3: 000000007f618000 CR4: 00000000003526f0 DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 Call Trace: <TASK> sunrpc_exit_net+0x46/0x90 net/sunrpc/sunrpc_syms.c:76 ops_exit_list net/core/net_namespace.c:200 [inline] ops_undo_list+0x2eb/0xab0 net/core/net_namespace.c:253 setup_net+0x2e1/0x510 net/core/net_namespace.c:457 copy_net_ns+0x2a6/0x5f0 net/core/net_namespace.c:574 create_new_namespaces+0x3ea/0xa90 kernel/nsproxy.c:110 unshare_nsproxy_namespaces+0xc0/0x1f0 kernel/nsproxy.c:218 ksys_unshare+0x45b/0xa40 kernel/fork.c:3121 __do_sys_unshare kernel/fork.c:3192 [inline] __se_sys_unshare kernel/fork.c:3190 [inline] __x64_sys_unshare+0x31/0x40 kernel/fork.c:3190 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcd/0x490 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0x7fa1a6b8e929 Code: ff ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 40 00 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c ---truncated---

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2025-07-25 13:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-11-05 21:18 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 5.5 MEDIUM (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2025-07-25 13:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-11-05 21:18 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 5.4.296
• Linux Kernel < 5.10.240
• Linux Kernel < 5.15.187
• Linux Kernel < 6.1.144
• Linux Kernel < 6.6.97
• Linux Kernel < 6.12.37
• Linux Kernel < 6.15.6
• Linux Kernel 6.16

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 5.5

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2025-38400.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2025-38400. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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