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CVE Record

CVE-2025-38057: espintcp: fix skb leaks

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: espintcp: fix skb leaks A few error paths are missing a kfree_skb.

HighCVSS 7.5Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A Linux networking flaw can leave packet memory allocated when ESP-in-TCP processing encounters certain errors. An unauthenticated remote party may be able to consume kernel memory and disrupt availability. The supplied CVSS score is 7.5, reflecting high availability impact without confidentiality or integrity impact.

Executive priority

Prioritize exposed VPN, gateway, and network-security systems, then other affected Linux hosts. Treat remediation as high priority because the stated impact is remote denial of service, while avoiding emergency-compromise claims because active exploitation is not evidenced.

Technical view

CVE-2025-38057 concerns missing kfree_skb calls on several espintcp error paths. Affected paths can leak socket-buffer memory instead of releasing it. The supplied vector is network-accessible, low-complexity, unauthenticated, and requires no user interaction. Linux stable commits provide the corrections.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most relevant to systems using affected Linux kernels where ESP-in-TCP processing is reachable through untrusted network traffic. The bundle lists affected releases from 5.6 through 6.15, including several stable-series versions, but its version data is ambiguous. Confirm status with the system's Linux distributor.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not identify active exploitation, KEV inclusion, or a public proof of concept. The CVSS vector indicates theoretically remote, unauthenticated availability impact. Practical reachability, trigger reliability, and resource-exhaustion rate are not established by the supplied evidence.

Researcher notes

The documented defect is an skb lifetime leak on unspecified espintcp error paths. The bundle supplies six stable-tree fixes but no CWE, trigger details, affected configuration analysis, exploit evidence, or measurable exhaustion threshold. Distribution kernels may contain backports, so version-string comparison alone is insufficient.

Mitigation direction

  • Install a distributor-supported kernel containing the applicable referenced stable fix.
  • Reboot into the updated kernel after installation.
  • Check vendor guidance for exact fixed package versions and backport status.
  • Restrict unnecessary exposure of affected ESP-in-TCP processing where operationally feasible.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions across internet-facing and untrusted-network systems.
  • Confirm whether ESP-in-TCP functionality is configured, used, or externally reachable.
  • Compare each kernel build with distributor advisories and referenced stable commits.
  • Verify systems booted into the remediated kernel after updating.
  • Monitor kernel memory pressure and availability symptoms pending remediation.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
8

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2025-38057 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7.5 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

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

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
7Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7.5CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H3.93.6Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.5High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-38057Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxe27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593, e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593, e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593, e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593, e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593, e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593unaffected
LinuxLinux5.6, 0, 5.15.199, 6.1.159, 6.6.117, 6.12.31, 6.14.9, 6.15affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.