CVE-2025-38352 | posix-cpu-timers: fix race between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del()

Exp

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: posix-cpu-timers: fix race between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del() If an exiting non-autoreaping task has already passed exit_notify() and calls handle_posix_cpu_timers() from IRQ, it can be reaped by its parent or debugger right after unlock_task_sighand(). If a concurrent posix_cpu_timer_del() runs at that moment, it won't be able to detect timer->it.cpu.firing != 0: cpu_timer_task_rcu() and/or lock_task_sighand() will fail. Add the tsk->exit_state check into run_posix_cpu_timers() to fix this. This fix is not needed if CONFIG_POSIX_CPU_TIMERS_TASK_WORK=y, because exit_task_work() is called before exit_notify(). But the check still makes sense, task_work_add(&tsk->posix_cputimers_work.work) will fail anyway in this case.

Published: 2025-07-22 Last update: 2026-01-08 Assigner: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2025-38352 is rated Critical Active Threat (83.2/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 1.87%). Core evidence: CISA KEV confirms active exploitation (added 2025-09-04) affecting Linux / Kernel. a weakness (CWE-367) Unauthenticated remote administrative access may be possible. EPSS rose +1.82% over the last day, indicating growing attacker interest. Mandatory action: The CISA remediation deadline has passed—treat as an emergency patch priority.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

CISA KEV Record for CVE-2025-38352

Name: Linux Kernel Time-of-Check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) Race Condition Vulnerability · CISA KEV detail

Exploit added: 2025-09-04

Action due: 2025-09-25

Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2025-38352

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2025-38352

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.05% 1.87% +1.82%
2 2026-03-27 0.04% 0.05% +0.01%
3 2026-03-26 0.04%

Full EPSS history (24 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2025-38352

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.4 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/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:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
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.
1.4 5.9 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2025-38352

OS Trackers for CVE-2025-38352

vendor priority summary link
debian not yet assigned CVE-2025-38352 not yet assigned priority: Debian including 2 source packages (linux, linux-6.1), 6 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 6. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-38352
redhat high https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38352
suse high https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38352/
ubuntu high CVE-2025-38352 high priority: Ubuntu including 158 source packages (linux, linux-allwinner-5.19, …), 1414 status rows across 9 suites (bionic, focal, jammy, noble, plucky, questing, trusty, upstream, xenial): DNE 1017, released 216, ignored 154, not-affected 22, needs-triage 4, needed 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-38352

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-38352

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
linux linux_kernel >= 2.6.36, < 5.4.295 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.239 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.186 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.142 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.94 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.34 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 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:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 11.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2025-38352

URL Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c72fe18cc5f9f1750f5bc148cf1c94c29e106ff Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f3daa04a9328220de46f0d5c919a6c0073a9f0b Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/460188bc042a3f40f72d34b9f7fc6ee66b0b757b Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/764a7a5dfda23f69919441f2eac2a83e7db6e5bb Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78a4b8e3795b31dae58762bc091bb0f4f74a2200 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c076635b3a42771ace7d276de8dc3bc76ee2ba1b Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c29d5318708e67ac13c1b6fc1007d179fb65b4d7 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f90fff1e152dedf52b932240ebbd670d83330eca Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/farazsth98/chronomaly Exploit
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-38352 US Government Resource
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