CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2025-38271 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 5.5

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: prevent a NULL deref in rtnl_create_link() At the time rtnl_create_link() is running, dev->netdev_ops is NULL, we must not use netdev_lock_ops() or risk a NULL deref if CONFIG_NET_SHAPER is defined. Use netif_set_group() instead of dev_set_group(). RIP: 0010:netdev_need_ops_lock include/net/netdev_lock.h:33 [inline] RIP: 0010:netdev_lock_ops include/net/netdev_lock.h:41 [inline] RIP: 0010:dev_set_group+0xc0/0x230 net/core/dev_api.c:82 Call Trace: <TASK> rtnl_create_link+0x748/0xd10 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3674 rtnl_newlink_create+0x25c/0xb00 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3813 __rtnl_newlink net/core/rtnetlink.c:3940 [inline] rtnl_newlink+0x16d6/0x1c70 net/core/rtnetlink.c:4055 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x7cf/0xb70 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6944 netlink_rcv_skb+0x208/0x470 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2534 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1313 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x75b/0x8d0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1339 netlink_sendmsg+0x805/0xb30 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1883 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:712 [inline]

Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.5 (3.1)
Published
2025-07-10
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel
Weaknesses
CWE-476

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

The detailed catalog view below loads this exact record, its source evidence, and the full seven-phase agentic change plan.