Vulnerability · Published Aug 22, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2025-38628vdpa/mlx5: Fix release of uninitialized resources on error path

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 6% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS NVD)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 94.0% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vdpa/mlx5: Fix release of uninitialized resources on error path The commit in the fixes tag made sure that mlx5_vdpa_free() is the single entrypoint for removing the vdpa device resources added in mlx5_vdpa_dev_add(), even in the cleanup path of mlx5_vdpa_dev_add(). This means that all functions from mlx5_vdpa_free() should be able to handle uninitialized resources. This was not the case though: mlx5_vdpa_destroy_mr_resources() and mlx5_cmd_cleanup_async_ctx() were not able to do so. This caused the splat below when adding a vdpa device without a MAC address. This patch fixes these remaining issues: - Makes mlx5_vdpa_destroy_mr_resources() return early if called on uninitialized resources. - Moves mlx5_cmd_init_async_ctx() early on during device addition because it can't fail. This means that mlx5_cmd_cleanup_async_ctx() also can't fail. To mirror this, move the call site of mlx5_cmd_cleanup_async_ctx() in mlx5_vdpa_free(). An additional comment was added in mlx5_vdpa_free() to document the expectations of functions called from this context. Splat: mlx5_core 0000:b5:03.2: mlx5_vdpa_dev_add:3950:(pid 2306) warning: No mac address provisioned? ------------[ cut here ]------------ WARNING: CPU: 13 PID: 2306 at kernel/workqueue.c:4207 __flush_work+0x9a/0xb0 [...] Call Trace: <TASK> ? __try_to_del_timer_sync+0x61/0x90 ? __timer_delete_sync+0x2b/0x40 mlx5_vdpa_destroy_mr_resources+0x1c/0x40 [mlx5_vdpa] mlx5_vdpa_free+0x45/0x160 [mlx5_vdpa] vdpa_release_dev+0x1e/0x50 [vdpa] device_release+0x31/0x90 kobject_cleanup+0x37/0x130 mlx5_vdpa_dev_add+0x327/0x890 [mlx5_vdpa] vdpa_nl_cmd_dev_add_set_doit+0x2c1/0x4d0 [vdpa] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0xd8/0x130 genl_family_rcv_msg+0x14b/0x220 ? __pfx_vdpa_nl_cmd_dev_add_set_doit+0x10/0x10 [vdpa] genl_rcv_msg+0x47/0xa0 ? __pfx_genl_rcv_msg+0x10/0x10 netlink_rcv_skb+0x53/0x100 genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x27b/0x3b0 netlink_sendmsg+0x1f7/0x430 __sys_sendto+0x1fa/0x210 ? ___pte_offset_map+0x17/0x160 ? next_uptodate_folio+0x85/0x2b0 ? percpu_counter_add_batch+0x51/0x90 ? filemap_map_pages+0x515/0x660 __x64_sys_sendto+0x20/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x7b/0x2c0 ? do_read_fault+0x108/0x220 ? do_pte_missing+0x14a/0x3e0 ? __handle_mm_fault+0x321/0x730 ? count_memcg_events+0x13f/0x180 ? handle_mm_fault+0x1fb/0x2d0 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x20c/0x700 ? syscall_exit_work+0x104/0x140 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e RIP: 0033:0x7f0c25b0feca [...] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:13linux6.12.43-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38628
Debian:14linux6.16.3-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:25.10linux-azure-fdeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.146.14.0-1020.21~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.146.14.0-1016.16UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.146.14.0-36.36.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38628

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 83e445e64f48bdae3f25013e788fcf592f142576 – before 37f26b9013b46457b0a96633fc3a7dc977d8beb183e445e64f48bdae3f25013e788fcf592f142576 – before cf4fc23d0d3d5b89b36f0d79f2674510bb574d8e83e445e64f48bdae3f25013e788fcf592f142576 – before 6de4ef950dd56a6a81daf92d8a1d864fc6a5697183e445e64f48bdae3f25013e788fcf592f142576 – before cc51a66815999afb7e9cd845968de4fdf07567b7
Linux Linux 6.12

References