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CVE-2025-38551

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio-net: fix recursived rtnl_lock() during probe() The deadlock appears in a stack trace like: virtnet_probe() rtnl_l…

Published Aug 16, 2025CWE-667EPSS 0.12%

Overview

CVE-2025-38551 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. 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:

virtio-net: fix recursived rtnl_lock() during probe()

The deadlock appears in a stack trace like:

virtnet_probe()

rtnl_lock()

virtio_config_changed_work()

netdev_notify_peers()

rtnl_lock()

It happens if the VMM sends a VIRTIO_NET_S_ANNOUNCE request while the

virtio-net driver is still probing.

The config_work in probe() will get scheduled until virtnet_open() enables

the config change notification via virtio_config_driver_enable().

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. 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.

References

Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/3859f137b3c1fa1f0031d54263234566bdcdd7aaRefgit.kernel.org/stable/c/4e7c46362550b229354aeb52038f414e231b0037Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/be5dcaed694e4255dc02dd0acfe036708c535def

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38551?

CVE-2025-38551 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38551?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-38551?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. 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-2025-38551?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-38551 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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