Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-38480

Linux Kernel 2.6.29 – 5.4.297

Published
28 July 2025
Modified
17 June 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 5.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0016 5th percentile
Risk Priority 41 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-38480 is a medium-severity Use of Uninitialized Resource (CWE-908) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 5.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique OS Credential Dumping (T1003); ranked at the 5th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: comedi: Fix use of uninitialized data in insn_rw_emulate_bits() For Comedi `INSN_READ` and `INSN_WRITE` instructions on "digital" subdevices (subdevice types `COMEDI_SUBD_DI`, `COMEDI_SUBD_DO`, and `COMEDI_SUBD_DIO`), it is common for the subdevice driver…

more

not to have `insn_read` and `insn_write` handler functions, but to have an `insn_bits` handler function for handling Comedi `INSN_BITS` instructions. In that case, the subdevice's `insn_read` and/or `insn_write` function handler pointers are set to point to the `insn_rw_emulate_bits()` function by `__comedi_device_postconfig()`. For `INSN_WRITE`, `insn_rw_emulate_bits()` currently assumes that the supplied `data[0]` value is a valid copy from user memory. It will at least exist because `do_insnlist_ioctl()` and `do_insn_ioctl()` in "comedi_fops.c" ensure at lease `MIN_SAMPLES` (16) elements are allocated. However, if `insn->n` is 0 (which is allowable for `INSN_READ` and `INSN_WRITE` instructions, then `data[0]` may contain uninitialized data, and certainly contains invalid data, possibly from a different instruction in the array of instructions handled by `do_insnlist_ioctl()`. This will result in an incorrect value being written to the digital output channel (or to the digital input/output channel if configured as an output), and may be reflected in the internal saved state of the channel. Fix it by returning 0 early if `insn->n` is 0, before reaching the code that accesses `data[0]`. Previously, the function always returned 1 on success, but it is supposed to be the number of data samples actually read or written up to `insn->n`, which is 0 in this case.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may search compromised systems to find and obtain insecurely stored credentials.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-27431Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-38644Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-35893Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-38072Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-26857Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-35888Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-39812Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2024-26863Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-38136Same product: Debian Debian Linux
CVE-2025-38225Same product: Debian Debian Linux

Affected Assets

linux
linux kernel
6.16 · 2.6.29 — 5.4.297 · 5.5 — 5.10.241 · 5.11 — 5.15.190
debian
debian linux
11.0

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation (including static analysis) can find uses of uninitialized resources after they are coded.

Requiring documented development standards and tools can mandate initialization checks and safe patterns that stop the weakness from being introduced.

Engineering principles can require explicit resource initialization before use, structurally avoiding uninitialized access.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC activities such as static analysis and code review directly prevent use of uninitialized resources while also addressing many other weaknesses.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing in development and acceptance can detect uninitialized resource usage through dynamic analysis and fuzzing.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates initialization checks and static analysis that can catch uninitialized resource use.

prevents

Application security requirements can specify mandatory initialization of variables and resources before use.

prevents

Secure system architecture and engineering principles include defensive coding practices that prevent use of uninitialized memory or objects.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly require explicit initialization of all variables and resources, substantially mitigating CWE-908.

References