🛡️ CVE-2025-38522 — kernel

🟡 CVSS 5.5 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
5.5
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

sched/ext: Prevent update_locked_rq() calls with NULL rq

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

sched/ext: Prevent update_locked_rq() calls with NULL rq

Avoid invoking update_locked_rq() when the runqueue (rq) pointer is NULL

in the SCX_CALL_OP and SCX_CALL_OP_RET macros.

Previously, calling update_locked_rq(NULL) with preemption enabled could

trigger the following warning:

BUG: using __this_cpu_write() in preemptible [00000000]

This happens because __this_cpu_write() is unsafe to use in preemptible

context.

rq is NULL when an ops invoked from an unlocked context. In such cases, we

don't need to store any rq, since the value should already be NULL

(unlocked). Ensure that update_locked_rq() is only called when rq is

non-NULL, preventing calling __this_cpu_write() on preemptible context.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

Affected software

CVE-2025-38522 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.15.0 up to 6.15.8)
  • linux-kernel

Timeline and source

Published on 16 August 2025 and last revised on 15 July 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

CVE-2025-38522 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Medium
CVSS Score 5.5
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2025-08-16
Updated 2026-08-12
Modified 2026-07-15

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.15.0 6.15.8
linux-kernel — —

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