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CVE Record

CVE-2025-38498: do_change_type(): refuse to operate on unmounted/not ours mounts

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: do_change_type(): refuse to operate on unmounted/not ours mounts Ensure that propagation settings can only be changed for mounts located in the caller's mount namespace. This change aligns permission checking with the rest of mount(2).

HighCVSS 7.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A local, low-privileged user may abuse incorrect Linux mount-namespace permission checks to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation requires local access and no user interaction. Systems running affected kernels should receive vendor-provided kernel updates, prioritizing shared, containerized, and multi-user hosts.

Executive priority

Treat as a high-priority local privilege-boundary issue, especially on systems hosting untrusted users or workloads. It does not warrant the urgency of a confirmed internet-exploited vulnerability, but broad Linux deployment and potentially high impact justify prompt inventory, vendor verification, patching, and reboot coordination.

Technical view

Linux do_change_type() could change mount-propagation settings for unmounted mounts or mounts outside the caller’s mount namespace. The correction restricts operations to mounts belonging to that namespace, aligning permission checks with other mount(2) behavior. CVSS 3.1 rates it 7.8: local, low complexity, low privileges, no interaction, with potentially high impact.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to affected Linux kernels where an attacker already has local low-privileged execution and can reach the relevant mount operation. Multi-user or container-hosting systems may deserve greater scrutiny. The supplied version data is ambiguous, so confirm exposure through distribution advisories and fix-commit backport status.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not identify this CVE as CISA KEV and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation or a public exploit. The vulnerability is locally reachable with low privileges according to CVSS; it is not described as remotely exploitable.

Researcher notes

The core defect concerns mount-propagation changes across namespace ownership boundaries. The supplied affected-version list mixes releases and commit identifiers and should not be treated as a definitive range. Validate using vendor package status and the applicable stable-tree fix. No CWE, exploitation evidence, detection guidance, or precise universal fixed version is supplied.

Mitigation direction

  • Install the latest vendor-supported kernel update addressing CVE-2025-38498.
  • Confirm custom kernels include the applicable Linux stable fix commit or backport.
  • Prioritize shared, containerized, and multi-user Linux systems.
  • Restrict unnecessary local access while updates are pending.
  • Consult distribution or appliance guidance for exact fixed package versions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernels across Linux hosts and appliances.
  • Compare kernel packages against vendor advisories for CVE-2025-38498.
  • Check whether custom kernel sources contain the applicable stable fix.
  • Identify systems permitting untrusted or low-privileged local execution.
  • Reboot updated systems and verify the intended kernel is running.
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

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

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CVE-2025-38498 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
7.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
3ADP providers
13Source 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
7.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-38498Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

CVECVE Program Container
siemens-SADPADP container
CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84, 07b20889e3052c7e77d6a6a54e7e83446eb1ba84unaffected
LinuxLinux2.6.15, 0, 5.4.295, 5.10.239, 5.15.186, 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.16affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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