comedi: Fix initialization of data for instructions that write to subdevice
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: comedi: Fix initialization of data for instructions that write to subdevice Some Comedi subdevice instruction handlers are known to access instruction data elements beyond the first `insn->n` elements in some cases. The `do_insn_ioctl()` and `do_insnlist_ioctl()` functions allocate at least `MIN_SAMPLES` (16) data elements to deal with this, but they do not initialize all of that. For Comedi instruction codes that write to the subdevice, the first `insn->n` data elements are copied from user-space, but the remaining elements are left uninitialized. That could be a problem if the subdevice instruction handler reads the uninitialized data. Ensure that the first `MIN_SAMPLES` elements are initialized before calling these instruction handlers, filling the uncopied elements with 0. For `do_insnlist_ioctl()`, the same data buffer elements are used for handling a list of instructions, so ensure the first `MIN_SAMPLES` elements are initialized for each instruction that writes to the subdevice.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.29 and later | 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12.40, 6.15.8, 6.16 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.29 and later Fixed in 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12.40, 6.15.8, 6.16 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 8
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.29 to before 5.4.297; 5.5 to before 5.10.241; 5.11 to before 5.15.190; 5.16 to before 6.1.147; 6.2 to before 6.6.100; 6.7 to before 6.12.40; 6.13 to before 6.15.8 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.29 to before 5.4.297; 5.5 to before 5.10.241; 5.11 to before 5.15.190; 5.16 to before 6.1.147; 6.2 to before 6.6.100; 6.7 to before 6.12.40; 6.13 to before 6.15.8 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.16 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12.40, 6.15.8, 6.16
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38478
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-55hq-rjfv-397f
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f38c6380c3b38a05032b8881e41137385a6ce02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13e4d9038a1e869445a996a3f604a84ef52fe8f4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/020eed5681d0f9bced73970368078a92d6cfaa9c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d3436638738ace8f101af7bdee2eae1bc38e9b29
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/673ee92bd2d31055bca98a1d96b653f5284289c4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c42116dc70af6664526f7aa82cf937824ab42649
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe8713fb4e4e82a4f91910d9a41bf0613e69a0b9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/46d8c744136ce2454aa4c35c138cc06817f92b8e
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- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2025-38478 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-38478 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-55hq-rjfv-397f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-38478 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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