CVE-2025-38246: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bnxt: properly flush XDP redirect lists We encountered following crash when testing a XDP_REDIRECT feature in production: [56251.579676] list_add corruption. next->prev should be prev (ffff93120dd40f30), but was ffffb301ef3a6740. (next=ffff93120dd 40f30). [56251.601413] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [56251.611357] kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:29! [56251.621082] Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI [56251.632073] CPU: 111 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/111 Kdump: loaded Tainted: P O 6.12.33-cloudflare-2025.6. 3 #1 [56251.653155] Tainted: [P]=PROPRIETARY_MODULE, [O]=OOT_MODULE [56251.663877] Hardware name: MiTAC GC68B-B8032-G11P6-GPU/S8032GM-HE-CFR, BIOS V7.020.B10-sig 01/22/2025 [56251.682626] RIP: 0010:__list_add_valid_or_report+0x4b/0xa0 [56251.693203] Code: 0e 48 c7 c7 68 e7 d9 97 e8 42 16 fe ff 0f 0b 48 8b 52 08 48 39 c2 74 14 48 89 f1 48 c7 c7 90 e7 d9 97 48 89 c6 e8 25 16 fe ff <0f> 0b 4c 8b 02 49 39 f0 74 14 48 89 d1 48 c7 c7 e8 e7 d9 97 4c 89 [56251.725811] RSP: 0018:ffff93120dd40b80 EFLAGS: 00010246 [56251.736094] RAX: 0000000000000075 RBX: ffffb301e6bba9d8 RCX: 0000000000000000 [56251.748260] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffff9149afda0b80 RDI: ffff9149afda0b80 [56251.760349] RBP: ffff9131e49c8000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffff93120dd40a18 [56251.772382] R10: ffff9159cf2ce1a8 R11: 0000000000000003 R12: ffff911a80850000 [56251.784364] R13: ffff93120fbc7000 R14: 0000000000000010 R15: ffff9139e7510e40 [56251.796278] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff9149afd80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [56251.809133] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [56251.819561] CR2: 00007f5e85e6f300 CR3: 00000038b85e2006 CR4: 0000000000770ef0 [56251.831365] PKRU: 55555554 [56251.838653] Call Trace: [56251.845560] <IRQ> [56251.851943] cpu_map_enqueue.cold+0x5/0xa [56251.860243] xdp_do_redirect+0x2d9/0x480 [56251.868388] bnxt_rx_xdp+0x1d8/0x4c0 [bnxt_en] [56251.877028] bnxt_rx_pkt+0x5f7/0x19b0 [bnxt_en] [56251.885665] ? cpu_max_write+0x1e/0x100 [56251.893510] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.902276] __bnxt_poll_work+0x190/0x340 [bnxt_en] [56251.911058] bnxt_poll+0xab/0x1b0 [bnxt_en] [56251.919041] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.927568] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.935958] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.944250] __napi_poll+0x2b/0x160 [56251.951155] bpf_trampoline_6442548651+0x79/0x123 [56251.959262] __napi_poll+0x5/0x160 [56251.966037] net_rx_action+0x3d2/0x880 [56251.973133] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.981265] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56251.989262] ? __hrtimer_run_queues+0x162/0x2a0 [56251.996967] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56252.004875] ? srso_alias_return_thunk+0x5/0xfbef5 [56252.012673] ? bnxt_msix+0x62/0x70 [bnxt_en] [56252.019903] handle_softirqs+0xcf/0x270 [56252.026650] irq_exit_rcu+0x67/0x90 [56252.032933] common_interrupt+0x85/0xa0 [56252.039498] </IRQ> [56252.044246] <TASK> [56252.048935] asm_common_interrupt+0x26/0x40 [56252.055727] RIP: 0010:cpuidle_enter_state+0xb8/0x420 [56252.063305] Code: dc 01 00 00 e8 f9 79 3b ff e8 64 f7 ff ff 49 89 c5 0f 1f 44 00 00 31 ff e8 a5 32 3a ff 45 84 ff 0f 85 ae 01 00 00 fb 45 85 f6 <0f> 88 88 01 00 00 48 8b 04 24 49 63 ce 4c 89 ea 48 6b f1 68 48 29 [56252.088911] RSP: 0018:ffff93120c97fe98 EFLAGS: 00000202 [56252.096912] RAX: ffff9149afd80000 RBX: ffff9141d3a72800 RCX: 0000000000000000 [56252.106844] RDX: 00003329176c6b98 RSI: ffffffe36db3fdc7 RDI: 0000000000000000 [56252.116733] RBP: 0000000000000002 R08: 0000000000000002 R09: 000000000000004e [56252.126652] R10: ffff9149afdb30c4 R11: 071c71c71c71c71c R12: ffffffff985ff860 [56252.136637] R13: 00003329176c6b98 R14: 0000000000000002 R15: 0000000000000000 [56252.146667] ? cpuidle_enter_state+0xab/0x420 [56252.153909] cpuidle_enter+0x2d/0x40 [56252.160360] do_idle+0x176/0x1c0 [56252.166456 ---truncated---

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-38246, a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
• Reference
• Reference
• Reference
• Reference