Linux Kernel up to 6.16-rc4 smb kernel/workqueue.c smb2_reconnect_server uninitialized pointer

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.96/6.12.36/6.15.5/6.16-rc1/6.16-rc4. It has been rated as problematic. This impacts the function smb2_reconnect_server of the file kernel/workqueue.c of the component smb. Performing a manipulation results in uninitialized pointer. This vulnerability is reported as CVE-2025-38379. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.96/6.12.36/6.15.5/6.16-rc1/6.16-rc4. This affects the function smb2_reconnect_server of the file kernel/workqueue.c of the component smb. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a uninitialized pointer vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-824. The product accesses or uses a pointer that has not been initialized. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix warning when reconnecting channel When reconnecting a channel in smb2_reconnect_server(), a dummy tcon is passed down to smb2_reconnect() with ->query_interface uninitialized, so we can't call queue_delayed_work() on it. Fix the following warning by ensuring that we're queueing the delayed worker from correct tcon. WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 1126 at kernel/workqueue.c:2498 __queue_delayed_work+0x1d2/0x200 Modules linked in: cifs cifs_arc4 nls_ucs2_utils cifs_md4 [last unloaded: cifs] CPU: 4 UID: 0 PID: 1126 Comm: kworker/4:0 Not tainted 6.16.0-rc3 #5 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-4.fc42 04/01/2014 Workqueue: cifsiod smb2_reconnect_server [cifs] RIP: 0010:__queue_delayed_work+0x1d2/0x200 Code: 41 5e 41 5f e9 7f ee ff ff 90 0f 0b 90 e9 5d ff ff ff bf 02 00 00 00 e8 6c f3 07 00 89 c3 eb bd 90 0f 0b 90 e9 57 f> 0b 90 e9 65 fe ff ff 90 0f 0b 90 e9 72 fe ff ff 90 0f 0b 90 e9 RSP: 0018:ffffc900014afad8 EFLAGS: 00010003 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff888124d99988 RCX: ffffffff81399cc1 RDX: dffffc0000000000 RSI: ffff888114326e00 RDI: ffff888124d999f0 RBP: 000000000000ea60 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: ffffed10249b3331 R10: ffff888124d9998f R11: 0000000000000004 R12: 0000000000000040 R13: ffff888114326e00 R14: ffff888124d999d8 R15: ffff888114939020 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88829f7fe000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007ffe7a2b4038 CR3: 0000000120a6f000 CR4: 0000000000750ef0 PKRU: 55555554 Call Trace: <TASK> queue_delayed_work_on+0xb4/0xc0 smb2_reconnect+0xb22/0xf50 [cifs] smb2_reconnect_server+0x413/0xd40 [cifs] ? __pfx_smb2_reconnect_server+0x10/0x10 [cifs] ? local_clock_noinstr+0xd/0xd0 ? local_clock+0x15/0x30 ? lock_release+0x29b/0x390 process_one_work+0x4c5/0xa10 ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 ? __list_add_valid_or_report+0x37/0x120 worker_thread+0x2f1/0x5a0 ? __kthread_parkme+0xde/0x100 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x1fe/0x380 ? kthread+0x10f/0x380 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ? local_clock_noinstr+0xd/0xd0 ? ret_from_fork+0x1b/0x1f0 ? local_clock+0x15/0x30 ? lock_release+0x29b/0x390 ? rcu_is_watching+0x20/0x50 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x15b/0x1f0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> irq event stamp: 1116206 hardirqs last enabled at (1116205): [<ffffffff8143af42>] __up_console_sem+0x52/0x60 hardirqs last disabled at (1116206): [<ffffffff81399f0e>] queue_delayed_work_on+0x6e/0xc0 softirqs last enabled at (1116138): [<ffffffffc04562fd>] __smb_send_rqst+0x42d/0x950 [cifs] softirqs last disabled at (1116136): [<ffffffff823d35e1>] release_sock+0x21/0xf0

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-38379 since 04/16/2025. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.

Upgrading to version 6.6.97, 6.12.37, 6.15.6, 6.16-rc1 or 6.16-rc5 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 0cee638d92ac898d73eccc4e4bab70e9fc95946a/3f6932ef25378794894c3c1024092ad14da2d330/9d2b629a9dc5c72537645533af1cb11a7d34c4b1/3bbe46716092d8ef6b0df4b956f585c5cd0fc78e is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-1653). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• SUSE openSUSE
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell Avamar
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.6.0
• 6.6.1
• 6.6.2
• 6.6.3
• 6.6.4
• 6.6.5
• 6.6.6
• 6.6.7
• 6.6.8
• 6.6.9
• 6.6.10
• 6.6.11
• 6.6.12
• 6.6.13
• 6.6.14
• 6.6.15
• 6.6.16
• 6.6.17
• 6.6.18
• 6.6.19
• 6.6.20
• 6.6.21
• 6.6.22
• 6.6.23
• 6.6.24
• 6.6.25
• 6.6.26
• 6.6.27
• 6.6.28
• 6.6.29
• 6.6.30
• 6.6.31
• 6.6.32
• 6.6.33
• 6.6.34
• 6.6.35
• 6.6.36
• 6.6.37
• 6.6.38
• 6.6.39
• 6.6.40
• 6.6.41
• 6.6.42
• 6.6.43
• 6.6.44
• 6.6.45
• 6.6.46
• 6.6.47
• 6.6.48
• 6.6.49
• 6.6.50
• 6.6.51
• 6.6.52
• 6.6.53
• 6.6.54
• 6.6.55
• 6.6.56
• 6.6.57
• 6.6.58
• 6.6.59
• 6.6.60
• 6.6.61
• 6.6.62
• 6.6.63
• 6.6.64
• 6.6.65
• 6.6.66
• 6.6.67
• 6.6.68
• 6.6.69
• 6.6.70
• 6.6.71
• 6.6.72
• 6.6.73
• 6.6.74
• 6.6.75
• 6.6.76
• 6.6.77
• 6.6.78
• 6.6.79
• 6.6.80
• 6.6.81
• 6.6.82
• 6.6.83
• 6.6.84
• 6.6.85
• 6.6.86
• 6.6.87
• 6.6.88
• 6.6.89
• 6.6.90
• 6.6.91
• 6.6.92
• 6.6.93
• 6.6.94
• 6.6.95
• 6.6.96
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.12.20
• 6.12.21
• 6.12.22
• 6.12.23
• 6.12.24
• 6.12.25
• 6.12.26
• 6.12.27
• 6.12.28
• 6.12.29
• 6.12.30
• 6.12.31
• 6.12.32
• 6.12.33
• 6.12.34
• 6.12.35
• 6.12.36
• 6.15.0
• 6.15.1
• 6.15.2
• 6.15.3
• 6.15.4
• 6.15.5
• 6.16-rc1
• 6.16-rc2
• 6.16-rc3
• 6.16-rc4

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

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