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Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2025-38396 json

fs: export anon_inode_make_secure_inode() and fix secretmem LSM bypass

published 2025-07-25 15 mo ago modified 2026-08-05 3 mo ago also EUVD-2025-22607

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.2%
EPSS 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 9%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs: export anon_inode_make_secure_inode() and fix secretmem LSM bypass

Export anon_inode_make_secure_inode() to allow KVM guest_memfd to create anonymous inodes with proper security context. This replaces the current pattern of calling alloc_anon_inode() followed by inode_init_security_anon() for creating security context manually.

This change also fixes a security regression in secretmem where the S_PRIVATE flag was not cleared after alloc_anon_inode(), causing LSM/SELinux checks to be bypassed for secretmem file descriptors.

As guest_memfd currently resides in the KVM module, we need to export this symbol for use outside the core kernel. In the future, guest_memfd might be moved to core-mm, at which point the symbols no longer would have to be exported. When/if that happens is still unclear.

Patch / fix

  • Linux Linux 6.1.146, 6.6.97, 6.12.37, 6.15.6, 6.16
  • linux Debian 12 6.1.147-1
  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13 6.12.37-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38396

  • linux Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-100.100
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1046.49
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1047.50
  • linux-gke Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1043.48
  • linux-ibm Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1044.44
  • linux-azure Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1046.52
  • linux-gkeop Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1030.33
  • linux-raspi Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1047.51

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • kernel RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • rv RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • perf RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • rtla RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • libperf RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-rt RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-64k RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-core RHEL 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7

red hat advisories RHSA-2025:20518RHSA-2025:16904

  • kernel-rt Linux Micro 6.2 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-64kb SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-source SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-default SLES 16.0, SLE High Availability Extension 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2 +1 more 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-default-base SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1.160000.2.4
  • kernel-syms SLES 16.0, Linux Micro Extras 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-obs-qa SLES for SAP applications 16.0, SLES 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-kvmsmall SLES for SAP applications 16.0, SLES 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2025:21074-1SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1SUSE-SU-2026:20560-1SUSE-SU-2025:21179-1SUSE-SU-2025:20891-1SUSE-SU-2025:20890-1

  • kernel-rt openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • dtb-aarch64 openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-64kb openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-syms openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-obs-qa openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-source openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-default openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1
  • kernel-kvmsmall openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.6.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2025:20081-1

  • kernel AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • rv AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • perf AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • rtla AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • libperf AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-rt AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-64k AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel-core AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7

almalinux advisories ALSA-2025:20518ALSA-2025:16904

  • kernel Rocky Linux 9 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
  • kernel Rocky Linux 10 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0

rocky linux advisories RLSA-2025:20518RLSA-2025:16904

  • kernel Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1

azure linux advisories AZL-65726

Azure Linux vulnerability data, Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation, from https://github.com/microsoft/AzureLinuxVulnerabilityData via OSV, under the MIT licence; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. MIT

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2025-38396 updated cvss 6.0

kernel: fs: export anon_inode_make_secure_inode() and fix secretmem LSM bypass

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 kernel-rt, kernel-rt-kvm, kernel-rt-core, kernel-rt-modules, kernel-rt-debug-kvm, kernel-rt-debug-core, +12 more
    affected: workaround, no fix available “Fix deferred”
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) rv 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, perf 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, rtla 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, python3-perf 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-devel-matched 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-devel-matched 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:20518
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) rv 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, perf 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, rtla 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, python3-perf 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-devel-matched 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-devel-matched 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:16904
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-tools 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-modules 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, +27 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:20518
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-64k 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-tools 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-modules 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, +27 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:16904
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) libperf 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:20518
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) libperf 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:16904
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:20518
show 4 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:16904
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-modules-core 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-debug-modules 5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:20518
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-kvm 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:16904
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, python-perf, kernel-kdump, +8 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, kernel-core, kernel-tools, +29 more
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

0.20% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 9% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Linux Linux

Classification

Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.