CVE-2025-38735: debian linux Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gve: prevent ethtool ops after shutdown A crash can occur if an ethtool operation is invoked after shutdown() is called. shutdown() is invoked during system shutdown to stop DMA operations without performing expensive deallocations. It is discouraged to unregister the netdev in this path, so the device may still be visible to userspace and kernel helpers. In gve, shutdown() tears down most internal data structures. If an ethtool operation is dispatched after shutdown(), it will dereference freed or NULL pointers, leading to a kernel panic. While graceful shutdown normally quiesces userspace before invoking the reboot syscall, forced shutdowns (as observed on GCP VMs) can still trigger this path. Fix by calling netif_device_detach() in shutdown(). This marks the device as detached so the ethtool ioctl handler will skip dispatching operations to the driver.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.17 — 6.1.149
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.103
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.44
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.16.4
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
debian	debian_linux	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/48a4e89d50e8ea52e800bc7865970b92fcf4647c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75a9a46d67f46d608205888f9b34e315c1786345 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d8a41e9a4ff83ff666de811e7f012167cdc00e9 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7efffeecb881b4649fdc30de020ef910f35d646 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba51d73408edf815cbaeab148625576c2dd90192

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-032379.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-38735? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gve: prevent ethtool ops after shutdown A crash can occur if an ethtool operation is invoked after shutdown() is called. shutdown() is invoked during system shutdown to stop DMA operations without performing expensive deallocations. It is discouraged to unregister the netdev in this path, so the device may still be visible to userspace and kernel helpers. In gve, shutdown() tears down most internal data structures. If an ethtool operation is dispatched after shutdown(), it will dereference freed or NULL pointers, leading to a kernel panic. While graceful shutdown normally quiesces userspace before invoking the reboot syscall, forced shutdowns (as observed on GCP VMs) can still trigger this path. Fix by calling netif_device_detach() in shutdown(). This marks the device as detached so the ethtool ioctl handler will skip dispatching operations to the driver. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38735? +

CVE-2025-38735 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-38735? +

CVE-2025-38735 affects products from debian, linux, specifically: debian_linux, linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-38735? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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