CVE-2025-38528
What it is
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers static const char fmt[] = "%p%"; bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt)); The above BPF program isn't rejected and causes a kernel warning at runtime: Please remove unsupported %\x00 in format string WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 at lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0 This happens because bpf_bprintf_prepare skips over the second %, detected as punctuation, while processing %p. This patch fixes it by not skipping over punctuation. %\x00 is then processed in the next iteration and rejected.
At a glance
- Exploitability
- Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, 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
- PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
- 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: 7.1 HIGH (CVSS).
- Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.
Details
- Published
- Last modified
- Exploit probability
- 0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days
- Record status
- Modified
Affected
- Linux Kernel < 5.15.190
- Linux Kernel < 6.1.147
- Linux Kernel < 6.6.100
- Linux Kernel < 6.12.40
- Linux Kernel < 6.15.8
- Linux Kernel 6.16
- Debian Linux 11.0
Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.1
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
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-2025-38528.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2025-38528. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.
Fix and advisories
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c5f5fd47bbda17cb885fe6f03730702cd53d3f8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61d5fa45ed13e42af14c7e959baba9908b8ee6d4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6952aeace93f8c9ea01849efecac24dd3152c9c9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97303e541e12f1fea97834ec64b98991e8775f39
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7be679124bae8cf4fa6e40d7e1661baddfb3289
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8242745871f81a3ac37f9f51853d12854fd0b58
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c5f5fd47bbda17cb885fe6f03730702cd53d3f8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61d5fa45ed13e42af14c7e959baba9908b8ee6d4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6952aeace93f8c9ea01849efecac24dd3152c9c9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97303e541e12f1fea97834ec64b98991e8775f39
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7be679124bae8cf4fa6e40d7e1661baddfb3289
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8242745871f81a3ac37f9f51853d12854fd0b58
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html