CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2025-38321 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

Medium CVSS 5.5

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: Log an error when close_all_cached_dirs fails Under low-memory conditions, close_all_cached_dirs() can't move the dentries to a separate list to dput() them once the locks are dropped. This will result in a "Dentry still in use" error, so add an error message that makes it clear this is what happened: [ 495.281119] CIFS: VFS: \\otters.example.com\share Out of memory while dropping dentries [ 495.281595] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 495.281887] BUG: Dentry ffff888115531138{i=78,n=/} still in use (2) [unmount of cifs cifs] [ 495.282391] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 2329 at fs/dcache.c:1536 umount_check+0xc8/0xf0 Also, bail out of looping through all tcons as soon as a single allocation fails, since we're already in trouble, and kmalloc() attempts for subseqeuent tcons are likely to fail just like the first one did.

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

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel
  • linux / linux_kernel / 6.16

Showing 2 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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

Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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