CVE-2025-38682
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2025-38682 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 4, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
i2c: core: Fix double-free of fwnode in i2c_unregister_device()
Before commit df6d7277e552 ("i2c: core: Do not dereference fwnode in struct
device"), i2c_unregister_device() only called fwnode_handle_put() on
of_node-s in the form of calling of_node_put(client->dev.of_node).
But after this commit the i2c_client's fwnode now unconditionally gets
fwnode_handle_put() on it.
When the i2c_client has no primary (ACPI / OF) fwnode but it does have
a software fwnode, the software-node will be the primary node and
fwnode_handle_put() will put() it.
But for the software fwnode device_remove_software_node() will also put()
it leading to a double free:
[ 82.665598] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[ 82.665609] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free.
[ 82.665808] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 1502 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x11
...
[ 82.666830] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110
...
[ 82.66
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 6.16, < 6.16.2 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-38682?
CVE-2025-38682 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on September 4, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2025-38682?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-38682?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2025-38682?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2025-38682 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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