smb: client: fix use-after-free in crypt_message when using async crypto
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix use-after-free in crypt_message when using async crypto The CVE-2024-50047 fix removed asynchronous crypto handling from crypt_message(), assuming all crypto operations are synchronous. However, when hardware crypto accelerators are used, this can cause use-after-free crashes: crypt_message() // Allocate the creq buffer containing the req creq = smb2_get_aead_req(..., &req); // Async encryption returns -EINPROGRESS immediately rc = enc ? crypto_aead_encrypt(req) : crypto_aead_decrypt(req); // Free creq while async operation is still in progress kvfree_sensitive(creq, ...); Hardware crypto modules often implement async AEAD operations for performance. When crypto_aead_encrypt/decrypt() returns -EINPROGRESS, the operation completes asynchronously. Without crypto_wait_req(), the function immediately frees the request buffer, leading to crashes when the driver later accesses the freed memory. This results in a use-after-free condition when the hardware crypto driver later accesses the freed request structure, leading to kernel crashes with NULL pointer dereferences. The issue occurs because crypto_alloc_aead() with mask=0 doesn't guarantee synchronous operation. Even without CRYPTO_ALG_ASYNC in the mask, async implementations can be selected. Fix by restoring the async crypto handling: - DECLARE_CRYPTO_WAIT(wait) for completion tracking - aead_request_set_callback() for async completion notification - crypto_wait_req() to wait for operation completion This ensures the request buffer isn't freed until the crypto operation completes, whether synchronous or asynchronous, while preserving the CVE-2024-50047 fix.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.10.237 to before 5.10.241; 5.15.181 to before 5.15.190; 6.1.128 to before 6.1.147; 6.6.57 to before 6.6.100; 6.11.4 to before 6.12 | 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 6.12 and later | 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 5.10.237 to before 5.10.241; 5.15.181 to before 5.15.190; 6.1.128 to before 6.1.147; 6.6.57 to before 6.6.100; 6.11.4 to before 6.12 Fixed in 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.12 and later Fixed in 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.10.237 to before 5.10.241; 5.15.181 to before 5.15.190; 6.1.128 to before 6.1.147; 6.6.57 to before 6.6.100; 6.11.4 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 5.10.237 to before 5.10.241; 5.15.181 to before 5.15.190; 6.1.128 to before 6.1.147; 6.6.57 to before 6.6.100; 6.11.4 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 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.147, 6.6.100, 6.12
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 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 10 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38488
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8gh3-6693-hwj4
References
Patch 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d047b12f86cc3b9fde1171c02d9bccf4dba0632
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6550b2bef095d0dd2d2c8390d2ea4c3837028833
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a1d3e8d40f151c2d5a5f40c410e6e433f62f438
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/15a0a5de49507062bc3be4014a403d8cea5533de
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a76bc2b24ed889a689fb1c9015307bf16aafb5b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ac90f6824fc44d2e55a82503ddfc95defb19ae0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b220bed63330c0e1733dc06ea8e75d5b9962b6b6
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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-2025-38488 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-38488 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8gh3-6693-hwj4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-38488 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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