CVE-2025-38480 | comedi: Fix use of uninitialized data in insn_rw_emulate_bits()

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 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.

Published: 2025-07-28 Last update: 2026-01-07 Assigner: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2025-38480 is rated Low Risk (29.2/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.07%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

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

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2025-38480

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 2026-05-24 0.01% 0.07% +0.05%
2 2026-01-08 0.06% 0.01% -0.05%
3 2026-01-05 0.06%

Full EPSS history (6 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2025-38480

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.5 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
1.8 3.6 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2025-38480

OS Trackers for CVE-2025-38480

vendor priority summary link
debian not yet assigned CVE-2025-38480 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-2025-38480
redhat https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38480
suse medium CVE-2025-38480 severity moderate: SUSE including 466 source package names (2.1.3-6.67:kernel-default-base-6.4.0-32.1.21.10, 2.1.3-7.44:kernel-default-6.4.0-32.1, …), 902 product×package rows across 178 product lines (Container suse/sl-micro/6.0/base-os-container, Container suse/sl-micro/6.0/kvm-os-container, … (178 product lines)): Fixed 627, Known Affected 231, Known Not Affected 23, First Fixed 21. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-38480/
ubuntu medium CVE-2025-38480 medium 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 169, ignored 161, needed 45, not-affected 18, needs-triage 2, pending 2. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-38480

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-38480

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
linux linux_kernel >= 2.6.29, < 5.4.297 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.241 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.190 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.147 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.100 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.40 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.15.8 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
linux linux_kernel 6.16 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 11.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2025-38480

URL Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/10f9024a8c824a41827fff1fefefb314c98e2c88 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16256d7efcf7acc9f39abe21522c4c6b77f67c00 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2af1e7d389c2619219171d23f5b96dbcbb7f9656 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3050d197d6bc9ef128944a70210f42d2430b3000 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ab55ffaaf75d0c7b68e332c1cdcc1b0e0044870 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c2981bf30401adfcdbfece4ab6f411f7c5875a1 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c53570e62b5b28bdb56bb563190227f8307817a5 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9cb26291d009243a4478a7ffb37b3a9175bfce9 Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Third Party Advisory
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