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CVE-2025-38684

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: ets: use old 'nbands' while purging unused classes Shuang reported sch_ets test-case [1] crashing in ets_class_qlen_…

Published Sep 4, 2025CWE-476EPSS 0.18%

Overview

CVE-2025-38684 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 4, 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:

net/sched: ets: use old 'nbands' while purging unused classes

Shuang reported sch_ets test-case [1] crashing in ets_class_qlen_notify()

after recent changes from Lion [2]. The problem is: in ets_qdisc_change()

we purge unused DWRR queues; the value of 'q->nbands' is the new one, and

the cleanup should be done with the old one. The problem is here since my

first attempts to fix ets_qdisc_change(), but it surfaced again after the

recent qdisc len accounting fixes. Fix it purging idle DWRR queues before

assigning a new value of 'q->nbands', so that all purge operations find a

consistent configuration:

- old 'q->nbands' because it's needed by ets_class_find()

- old 'q->nstrict' because it's needed by ets_class_is_strict()

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000

#PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode

#PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page

PGD 0 P4D 0

Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38684?

CVE-2025-38684 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 4, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38684?

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-2025-38684?

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-2025-38684?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-38684 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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