Linux Kernel up to 6.12.38/6.15.6 kvm_vm_set_mem_attributes denial of service

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CTI Interest Score
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4.0$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.38/6.15.6. This impacts the function kvm_vm_set_mem_attributes. Executing a manipulation can lead to denial of service. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-38506. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.38/6.15.6. It has been declared as problematic. This vulnerability affects the function kvm_vm_set_mem_attributes. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a denial of service vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-404. The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use. As an impact it is known to affect availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: Allow CPU to reschedule while setting per-page memory attributes When running an SEV-SNP guest with a sufficiently large amount of memory (1TB+), the host can experience CPU soft lockups when running an operation in kvm_vm_set_mem_attributes() to set memory attributes on the whole range of guest memory. watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#8 stuck for 26s! [qemu-kvm:6372] CPU: 8 UID: 0 PID: 6372 Comm: qemu-kvm Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.15.0-rc7.20250520.el9uek.rc1.x86_64 #1 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: Oracle Corporation ORACLE SERVER E4-2c/Asm,MB Tray,2U,E4-2c, BIOS 78016600 11/13/2024 RIP: 0010:xas_create+0x78/0x1f0 Code: 00 00 00 41 80 fc 01 0f 84 82 00 00 00 ba 06 00 00 00 bd 06 00 00 00 49 8b 45 08 4d 8d 65 08 41 39 d6 73 20 83 ed 06 48 85 c0 <74> 67 48 89 c2 83 e2 03 48 83 fa 02 75 0c 48 3d 00 10 00 00 0f 87 RSP: 0018:ffffad890a34b940 EFLAGS: 00000286 RAX: ffff96f30b261daa RBX: ffffad890a34b9c8 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 000000000000001e RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000000 RBP: 0000000000000018 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffffad890a356868 R13: ffffad890a356860 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffad890a356868 FS: 00007f5578a2a400(0000) GS:ffff97ed317e1000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f015c70fb18 CR3: 00000001109fd006 CR4: 0000000000f70ef0 PKRU: 55555554 Call Trace: <TASK> xas_store+0x58/0x630 __xa_store+0xa5/0x130 xa_store+0x2c/0x50 kvm_vm_set_mem_attributes+0x343/0x710 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x796/0xab0 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0xa3/0xd0 do_syscall_64+0x8c/0x7a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e RIP: 0033:0x7f5578d031bb Code: ff ff ff 85 c0 79 9b 49 c7 c4 ff ff ff ff 5b 5d 4c 89 e0 41 5c c3 66 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 f3 0f 1e fa b8 10 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 2d 4c 0f 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 RSP: 002b:00007ffe0a742b88 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000010 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 000000004020aed2 RCX: 00007f5578d031bb RDX: 00007ffe0a742c80 RSI: 000000004020aed2 RDI: 000000000000000b RBP: 0000010000000000 R08: 0000010000000000 R09: 0000017680000000 R10: 0000000000000080 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 00005575e5f95120 R13: 00007ffe0a742c80 R14: 0000000000000008 R15: 00005575e5f961e0 While looping through the range of memory setting the attributes, call cond_resched() to give the scheduler a chance to run a higher priority task on the runqueue if necessary and avoid staying in kernel mode long enough to trigger the lockup.

The advisory is available at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2025-38506 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 265749 (SUSE SLED15 / SLES15 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:03290-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.12.39 or 6.15.7 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch d9bd1163c8d8f716f45e54d034ee28757cc85549/1ef45ae7a3938f0844032ba670b4f89180a5bffc/47bb584237cc285e3a860b70c01f7bda9dcfb05b 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 databases at Tenable (265749), EUVD (EUVD-2025-25092) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-1858). If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

Affected

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

Productinfo

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Name

Version

License

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 4.0
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 4.0

VulDB Base Score: 2.6
VulDB Temp Score: 2.5
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 5.5
NVD Vector: 🔒

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Denial of service
CWE: CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

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Nessus ID: 265749
Nessus Name: SUSE SLED15 / SLES15 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:03290-1)

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.12.39/6.15.7
Patch: d9bd1163c8d8f716f45e54d034ee28757cc85549/1ef45ae7a3938f0844032ba670b4f89180a5bffc/47bb584237cc285e3a860b70c01f7bda9dcfb05b

Timelineinfo

04/16/2025 CVE reserved
08/16/2025 +122 days Advisory disclosed
08/16/2025 +0 days VulDB entry created
01/30/2026 +167 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2025-38506 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2025-38506
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-320362
EUVD: 🔒
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2025-1858 - Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Entryinfo

Created: 08/16/2025 13:30
Updated: 01/30/2026 17:10
Changes: 08/16/2025 13:30 (58), 08/16/2025 16:17 (1), 08/19/2025 09:25 (1), 09/24/2025 04:31 (2), 09/28/2025 06:40 (7), 10/02/2025 18:14 (1), 10/12/2025 16:40 (1), 11/01/2025 18:43 (1), 11/20/2025 04:45 (12), 01/30/2026 17:10 (1)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

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