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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2025-38691

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix uninited ptr deref in block/scsi layout The error occurs on the third attempt to encode extents.

Published Sep 4, 2025 · catalog updated Oct 19, 2026 · linux kernel

Open the advisory

Exploitation likelihood is not on this record for CVE-2025-38691. A missing EPSS score is not a low risk. Compare linux kernel with the linked advisory before you change production.

Gaps on this record

  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
  • EPSS is missing. A missing score is not a low risk.
Severity
Medium5.5
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
Awaiting synchronization with FIRST
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
cpe debian/debian linux · cpe linux/linux kernel

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix uninited ptr deref in block/scsi layout The error occurs on the third attempt to encode extents. When function ext_tree_prepare_commit() reallocates a larger buffer to retry encoding extents, the "layoutupdate_pages" page array is initialized only after the retry loop. But ext_tree_free_commitdata() is called on every iteration and tries to put pages in the array, thus dereferencing uninitialized pointers. An additional problem is that there is no limit on the maximum possible buffer_size. When there are too many extents, the client may create a layoutcommit that is larger than the maximum possible RPC size accepted by the server. During testing, we observed two typical scenarios. First, one memory page for extents is enough when we work with small files, append data to the end of the file, or preallocate extents before writing. But when we fill a new large file without preallocating, the number of extents can be huge, and counting the number of written extents in ext_tree_encode_commit() does not help much. Since this number increases even more between unlocking and locking of ext_tree, the reallocated buffer may not be large enough again and again.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe debian/debian linux11.0
  • cpe linux/linux kernelversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2025-38691

  • Recommended remediation

    A patch or advisory reference is linked. Open the original publisher for availability by product version.

  • Official advisories

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

Exploitation likelihood is not on this record for CVE-2025-38691. A missing EPSS score is not a low risk. Compare linux kernel with the linked advisory before you change production.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with debian/debian linux 11.0. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-908: Use of Uninitialized Resource. EPSS is not on this record yet. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Sep 4, 2025 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix uninited ptr deref in block/scsi layout The error occurs on the third attempt to encode extents. When function ext_tree_prepare_commit() reallocates a larger buffer to retry encoding extents, the "layoutupdate_pages" page array is initialized only after the retry loop. But ext_tree_free_commitdata() is called on every it

  2. Oct 19, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix uninited ptr deref in block/scsi layout The error occurs on the third attempt to encode extents. When function ext_tree_prepare_commit() reallocates a larger buffer to retry encoding extents, the "layoutupdate_pages" page array is initialized only after the retry loop. But ext_tree_free_commitdata() is called on every it

Sources

  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2025-38691

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix uninited ptr deref in block/scsi layout The error occurs on the third attempt to encode extents. When function ext_tree_prepare_commit() reallocates a larger buffer to retry encoding extents, the "lay

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 19, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.