Vulnerability · Published Jul 25, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2025-38396fs: export anon_inode_make_secure_inode() and fix secretmem LSM bypass

High 7.8

In plain English

A high-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 10% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.8High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.2% 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: 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.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
AlmaLinux:10kernel-abi-stablelists6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0ALSA-2025:16904
AlmaLinux:10kernel-doc6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0ALSA-2025:16904
Debian:12linux6.1.147-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38396
Debian:13linux6.12.37-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38396
Debian:14linux6.12.37-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38396
Rocky Linux:10kernel0:6.12.0-55.37.1.el10_0RLSA-2025:16904
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux6.8.0-100.100UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws6.8.0-1046.49UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.146.14.0-1015.15~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.86.8.0-1046.49~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure6.8.0-1046.52UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.146.14.0-1014.14~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.86.8.0-1051.57~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde6.8.0-1046.53UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:25.10linux-azure-fdeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.86.8.0-1046.53~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.146.14.0-1007.7UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp6.8.0-1047.50UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.146.14.0-1018.19~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.86.8.0-1047.50~22.04.2UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gke6.8.0-1043.48UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gkeop6.8.0-1030.33UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.86.8.0-100.100~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-ibm6.8.0-1044.44UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm-6.86.8.0-1044.44~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency6.8.0-100.100.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.86.8.0-100.100.1~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia6.8.0-1046.49UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.86.8.0-1046.49~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-lowlatency6.8.0-1046.49.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra6.8.0-1020.20UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.146.14.0-1014.14UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle6.8.0-1043.44UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.146.14.0-1015.15~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.86.8.0-1043.44~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi6.8.0-1047.51UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.146.14.0-34.34.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.86.8.0-100.100~22.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-xilinx6.8.0-1023.24UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38396

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 2bfe15c5261212130f1a71f32a300bcf426443d4 – before 66d29d757c968d2bee9124816da5d718eb3529592bfe15c5261212130f1a71f32a300bcf426443d4 – before e3eed01347721cd7a8819568161c91d538fbf2292bfe15c5261212130f1a71f32a300bcf426443d4 – before f94c422157f3e43dd31990567b3e5d54b3e5b32b2bfe15c5261212130f1a71f32a300bcf426443d4 – before 6ca45ea48530332a4ba09595767bd26d3232743b2bfe15c5261212130f1a71f32a300bcf426443d4 – before cbe4134ea4bc493239786220bd69cb8a13493190
Linux Linux 6.0

References