LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2025-38722: habanalabs: fix UAF in export_dmabuf()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: habanalabs: fix UAF in export_dmabuf() As soon as we'd inserted a file reference into descriptor table, another thread could close it. That's fine for the case when all we are doing is returning that descriptor to userland (it's a race, but it's a userland race and there's nothing the kernel can do about it). However, if we follow fd_install() with any kind of access to objects that would be destroyed on close (be it the struct file itself or anything destroyed by its ->release()), we have a UAF. dma_buf_fd() is a combination of reserving a descriptor and fd_install(). habanalabs export_dmabuf() calls it and then proceeds to access the objects destroyed on close. In particular, it grabs an extra reference to another struct file that will be dropped as part of ->release() for ours; that "will be" is actually "might have already been". Fix that by reserving descriptor before anything else and do fd_install() only when everything had been set up. As a side benefit, we no longer have the failure exit with file already created, but reference to underlying file (as well as ->dmabuf_export_cnt, etc.) not grabbed yet; unlike dma_buf_fd(), fd_install() can't fail.

HighCVSS 7.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A local user could trigger a timing flaw in Linux's habanalabs driver, causing the kernel to use memory after it has been freed. This may threaten system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The issue is high severity, but the supplied sources do not report active exploitation.

Executive priority

Prioritize shared Linux hosts exposing habanalabs devices to less-trusted users or workloads. Inventory affected systems promptly and apply distribution-provided fixed kernels. Systems without the driver or reachable functionality are less likely to be exposed, but this should be verified rather than assumed.

Technical view

The export_dmabuf() flow installed a file descriptor before completing access to related reference-counted objects. Another thread could close the descriptor, run release handling, and destroy those objects before subsequent accesses, producing a use-after-free. The stable fixes reserve the descriptor first, complete setup, then call fd_install(), which cannot fail.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux systems running an affected kernel where the habanalabs driver and export_dmabuf() path are available. The CVSS vector requires local access and low privileges, with no user interaction. The supplied affected-version data is ambiguous, so distribution packages should be checked against the referenced fixes.

Exploitation context

The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation or public weaponization. Exploitation requires a local, low-privileged context and a concurrency race in affected driver functionality. Practical reliability and resulting capabilities are not established by the supplied evidence.

Researcher notes

No CWE is supplied. The affected-version data lists discrete releases and repeats one commit hash without clear range semantics. Four stable fix commits are provided. Confirm applicability through kernel commit ancestry or distributor advisories. The sources establish the race and use-after-free, but not exploit reliability or demonstrated security outcomes.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a distributor kernel containing the applicable stable fix referenced for this CVE.
  • Reboot into the updated kernel and verify the running version.
  • If updating is delayed, consult distributor guidance and limit untrusted local access to the affected driver.

Validation and detection

  • Identify running kernel versions where the habanalabs driver is enabled or loaded.
  • Confirm whether workloads can reach the driver's DMA-BUF export functionality.
  • Compare kernel source or distributor changelogs with the four referenced stable fixes.
  • After remediation, verify hosts booted the fixed kernel and the driver still operates correctly.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

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.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-38722 mapping review

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

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
0ADP providers
5Source links

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-2025-38722Attack 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.

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxdb1a8dd916aac986871f6b873a3aefad906f383a, db1a8dd916aac986871f6b873a3aefad906f383a, db1a8dd916aac986871f6b873a3aefad906f383a, db1a8dd916aac986871f6b873a3aefad906f383aunaffected
LinuxLinux5.16, 0, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.2, 6.17affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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