CVE-2025-38502: debian linux Out-of-bounds Read — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix oob access in cgroup local storage Lonial reported that an out-of-bounds access in cgroup local storage can be crafted via tail calls. Given two programs each utilizing a cgroup local storage with a different value size, and one program doing a tail call into the other. The verifier will validate each of the indivial programs just fine. However, in the runtime context the bpf_cg_run_ctx holds an bpf_prog_array_item which contains the BPF program as well as any cgroup local storage flavor the program uses. Helpers such as bpf_get_local_storage() pick this up from the runtime context: ctx = container_of(current->bpf_ctx, struct bpf_cg_run_ctx, run_ctx); storage = ctx->prog_item->cgroup_storage[stype]; if (stype == BPF_CGROUP_STORAGE_SHARED) ptr = &READ_ONCE(storage->buf)->data[0]; else ptr = this_cpu_ptr(storage->percpu_buf); For the second program which was called from the originally attached one, this means bpf_get_local_storage() will pick up the former program's map, not its own. With mismatching sizes, this can result in an unintended out-of-bounds access. To fix this issue, we need to extend bpf_map_owner with an array of storage_cookie[] to match on i) the exact maps from the original program if the second program was using bpf_get_local_storage(), or ii) allow the tail call combination if the second program was not using any of the cgroup local storage maps.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.1

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.9 — 5.15.192
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.151
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.105
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.46
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.16.1
debian	debian_linux	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19341d5c59e8c7e8528e40f8663e99d67810473c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41688d1fc5d163a6c2c0e95c0419e2cb31a44648 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66da7cee78590259b400e51a70622ccd41da7bb2 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7acfa07c585e3d7a64654d38f0a5c762877d0b9b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/abad3d0bad72a52137e0c350c59542d75ae4f513 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1c74584b9b4043c52e41fec415226e582d266a3

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-2025-38502? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix oob access in cgroup local storage Lonial reported that an out-of-bounds access in cgroup local storage can be crafted via tail calls. Given two programs each utilizing a cgroup local storage with a different value size, and one program doing a tail call into the other. The verifier will validate each of the indivial programs just fine. However, in the runtime context the bpf_cg_run_ctx holds an bpf_prog_array_item which contains the BPF program as well as any cgroup local storage flavor the program uses. Helpers such as bpf_get_local_storage() pick this up from the runtime context: ctx = container_of(current->bpf_ctx, struct bpf_cg_run_ctx, run_ctx); storage = ctx->prog_item->cgroup_storage[stype]; if (stype == BPF_CGROUP_STORAGE_SHARED) ptr = &READ_ONCE(storage->buf)->data[0]; else ptr = this_cpu_ptr(storage->percpu_buf); For the second program which was called from the originally attached one, this means bpf_get_local_storage() will pick up the former program's map, not its own. With mismatching sizes, this can result in an unintended out-of-bounds access. To fix this issue, we need to extend bpf_map_owner with an array of storage_cookie[] to match on i) the exact maps from the original program if the second program was using bpf_get_local_storage(), or ii) allow the tail call combination if the second program was not using any of the cgroup local storage maps. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-38502? +

CVE-2025-38502 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-38502? +

CVE-2025-38502 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-2025-38502? +

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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