ZDF
Sign inSign up

Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2025-38614

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NE

Published Aug 19, 2025 · catalog updated Oct 15, 2026 · Linux Linux

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2025-38614. EPSS is 0.18%. Act only if a listed version of Linux Linux is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
High7.8
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.18%
Remediation
Version ranges on file
Affected products
cpe debian/debian linux · cpe linux/linux kernel · vendor Linux Linux 22bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e <3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf3682036

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recursion depth checks, but those recursion depth checks don't limit the depth of the resulting tree for two reasons: - They don't look upwards in the tree. - If there are multiple downwards paths of different lengths, only one of the paths is actually considered for the depth check since commit 28d82dc1c4ed ("epoll: limit paths"). Essentially, the current recursion depth check in ep_loop_check_proc() just serves to prevent it from recursing too deeply while checking for loops. A more thorough check is done in reverse_path_check() after the new graph edge has already been created; this checks, among other things, that no paths going upwards from any non-epoll file with a length of more than 5 edges exist. However, this check does not apply to non-epoll files. As a result, it is possible to recurse to a depth of at least roughly 500, tested on v6.15. (I am unsure if deeper recursion is possible; and this may have changed with commit 8c44dac8add7 ("eventpoll: Fix priority inversion problem").) To fix it: 1. In ep_loop_check_proc(), note the subtree depth of each visited node, and use subtree depths for the total depth calculation even when a subtree has already been visited. 2. Add ep_get_upwards_depth_proc() for similarly determining the maximum depth of an upwards walk. 3. In ep_loop_check(), use these values to limit the total path length between epoll nodes to EP_MAX_NESTS edges.

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
  • vendor Linux Linux 22bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e <3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf368203622bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e <3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf3682036

How to fix CVE-2025-38614

What to do

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

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2025-38614. EPSS is 0.18%. Act only if a listed version of Linux Linux is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with debian/debian linux 11.0; Linux Linux 22bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e <3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf3682036 22bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e <3542c90797bc3ab83ebab54b737d751cf3682036. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-674. EPSS 0.18%. 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. Aug 19, 2025 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recursion depth checks, but those recursion depth checks don't limit the depth of the resulting tree for two reasons: - They

  2. Oct 15, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recursion depth checks, but those recursion depth checks don't limit the depth of the resulting tree for two reasons: - They

  3. Oct 15, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recursion depth checks, but those recursion depth checks don't limit the depth of the resulting tree for two reasons: - They

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2025-38614

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2025-38614

    30-day exploitation probability 0.2%

    first.org
  • EUVDVulnerability recordEUVD-2025-25367

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some recur

    euvd.enisa.europa.eu
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2025-38614

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: Fix semi-unbounded recursion Ensure that epoll instances can never form a graph deeper than EP_MAX_NESTS+1 links. Currently, ep_loop_check_proc() ensures that the graph is loop-free and does some re

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.