CVE-2025-38116 [High] | Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath12k: fix uaf in ath12k_core_init() When the execution of ath12k_core_hw_group_assign() or ath12k_core_hw_group_create() fails, the registered notifier chain is not unregistered properly. Its memory is freed after rmmod, which may trigger to a use-after-free (UAF) issue if there is a subsequent access to this notifier chain. Fixes the issue by calling ath12k_core_panic_notifier_unregister() in failure cases. Call trace: notifier_chain_register+0x4c/0x1f0 (P) atomic_notifier_chain_register+0x38/0x68 ath12k_core_init+0x50/0x4e8 [ath12k] ath12k_pci_probe+0x5f8/0xc28 [ath12k] pci_device_probe+0xbc/0x1a8 really_probe+0xc8/0x3a0 __driver_probe_device+0x84/0x1b0 driver_probe_device+0x44/0x130 __driver_attach+0xcc/0x208 bus_for_each_dev+0x84/0x100 driver_attach+0x2c/0x40 bus_add_driver+0x130/0x260 driver_register+0x70/0x138 __pci_register_driver+0x68/0x80 ath12k_pci_init+0x30/0x68 [ath12k] ath12k_init+0x28/0x78 [ath12k] Tested-on: WCN7850 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.HMT.1.0.c5-00481-QCAHMTSWPL_V1.0_V2.0_SILICONZ-3

#	Date	Old EPSS score	New EPSS score	Delta (New - Old)
1	2026-06-15	0.08%	0.15%	+0.07%
2	2026-04-29	0.02%	0.08%	+0.06%
3	2025-07-03	—	0.02%	—

Date

Old EPSS score

New EPSS score

Delta (New - Old)

2026-06-15

0.08%

0.15%

+0.07%

2026-04-29

0.02%

0.08%

+0.06%

2025-07-03

—

0.02%

—

Base score	Version	Severity	Vector	Exploitability	Impact	Score source
7.8	3.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H` Click to expand Attack vector (AV:L) They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by. Attack complexity (AC:L) Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup. Privileges required (PR:L) A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin. User interaction (UI:N) Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping. Scope (S:U) Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems. Confidentiality (C:H) Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way. Integrity (I:H) They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt. Availability (A:H) Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.	1.8	5.9	[email protected]

Base score

Version

Severity

Vector

Exploitability

Impact

Score source

7.8

3.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand

Attack vector (AV:L): They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L): Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L): A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N): Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U): Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H): Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H): They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H): Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.

1.8

5.9

[email protected]

OS Trackers for CVE-2025-38116

vendor	priority	summary	link
`debian`	unimportant	CVE-2025-38116 unimportant priority: Debian including 1 source packages (linux), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5.	https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-38116
`redhat`	medium	—	https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38116
`suse`	high	CVE-2025-38116 severity important: SUSE including 26 source package names (cluster-md-kmp-default, dlm-kmp-default, …), 281 product×package rows across 55 product lines (SLES-LTSS-TERADATA 15 SP2, SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7, … (55 product lines)): Known Not Affected 281.	https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38116/
`ubuntu`	medium	CVE-2025-38116 medium priority: Ubuntu including 158 source packages (linux, linux-allwinner-5.19, …), 1551 status rows across 10 suites (bionic, focal, jammy, noble, oracular, plucky, questing, trusty, upstream, xenial): DNE 1145, ignored 152, not-affected 146, released 106, needs-triage 2.	https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-38116

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-38116

Vendor	Product	Version	Raw CPE
linux	linux_kernel	>= 6.14, < 6.15.3	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
linux	linux_kernel	6.16	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1::::::

References for CVE-2025-38116

URL	Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65e1b3404c211dcfaea02698539cdcd26647130f	Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3fe49dbddd73f0155a8935af47cb63693069dbe	Patch

URL

CVE-2025-38116 | wifi: ath12k: fix uaf in ath12k_core_init()

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2025-38116

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2025-38116

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2025-38116

OS Trackers for CVE-2025-38116

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-38116

References for CVE-2025-38116