Vulnerability · Published Jul 25, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2025-38440net/mlx5e: Fix race between DIM disable and net_dim()

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 0.1% (higher than 4% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.8High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.1%top 96.3% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix race between DIM disable and net_dim() There's a race between disabling DIM and NAPI callbacks using the dim pointer on the RQ or SQ. If NAPI checks the DIM state bit and sees it still set, it assumes `rq->dim` or `sq->dim` is valid. But if DIM gets disabled right after that check, the pointer might already be set to NULL, leading to a NULL pointer dereference in net_dim(). Fix this by calling `synchronize_net()` before freeing the DIM context. This ensures all in-progress NAPI callbacks are finished before the pointer is cleared. Kernel log: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 ... RIP: 0010:net_dim+0x23/0x190 ... Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die+0x20/0x60 ? page_fault_oops+0x150/0x3e0 ? common_interrupt+0xf/0xa0 ? sysvec_call_function_single+0xb/0x90 ? exc_page_fault+0x74/0x130 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x22/0x30 ? net_dim+0x23/0x190 ? mlx5e_poll_ico_cq+0x41/0x6f0 [mlx5_core] ? sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0xb/0x90 mlx5e_handle_rx_dim+0x92/0xd0 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_napi_poll+0x2cd/0xac0 [mlx5_core] ? mlx5e_poll_ico_cq+0xe5/0x6f0 [mlx5_core] busy_poll_stop+0xa2/0x200 ? mlx5e_napi_poll+0x1d9/0xac0 [mlx5_core] ? mlx5e_trigger_irq+0x130/0x130 [mlx5_core] __napi_busy_loop+0x345/0x3b0 ? sysvec_call_function_single+0xb/0x90 ? asm_sysvec_call_function_single+0x16/0x20 ? sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0xb/0x90 ? pcpu_free_area+0x1e4/0x2e0 napi_busy_loop+0x11/0x20 xsk_recvmsg+0x10c/0x130 sock_recvmsg+0x44/0x70 __sys_recvfrom+0xbc/0x130 ? __schedule+0x398/0x890 __x64_sys_recvfrom+0x20/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x4c/0x100 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 ... ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- ... ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt ]---

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:13linux6.12.41-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38440
Debian:13linux6.12.41-1DSA-5975-1
Debian:14linux6.16.3-1DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1USN-7879-3
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1USN-7934-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:25.10linux-azure-fdeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.146.14.0-1020.21~24.04.1USN-7879-4
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.146.14.0-1020.21~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.146.14.0-36.36~24.04.1USN-7879-1
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-intelno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.146.14.0-1016.16USN-7880-1
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.146.14.0-1016.16UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1USN-7879-3
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.146.14.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.146.14.0-36.36.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2025-38440

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 – before 7581afc051542e11ccf3ade68acd01b7fb1a3cde445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 – before 2bc6fb90486e42dd80e660ef7a40c02b2516c6d6445a25f6e1a2f6a132b06af6ede4f3c9b5f9af68 – before eb41a264a3a576dc040ee37c3d9d6b7e2d9be968
Linux Linux 6.10

References