CVE-2025-38488

smb: client: fix use-after-free in crypt_message when using async crypto

HIGH
7.8
CVSS Score
Published: July 28, 2025 at 11:21 AM UTC
Updated: August 5, 2026 at 12:44 PM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsLinux KernelDebian Linux

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Severity
HIGH7.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.7%

Description

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.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v ≥ 6.11.45.10.237 ≤ v < 5.10.2415.15.181 ≤ v < 5.15.1906.1.128 ≤ v < 6.1.1476.11.4 ≤ v < 6.126.11.4 ≤ v < 6.12.406.12 ≤ v < 6.12.406.12 ≤ v < 6.15.86.12 ≤ v < 6.166.13 ≤ v < 6.15.86.6.57 ≤ v < 6.6.1005.10.2375.15.181538c26d9bf70c90edc460d18c81008a4e555925a6.1.1286.11.46.16 rc16.16 rc26.16 rc36.16 rc46.16 rc56.16 rc66.6.57809fb86ad13b29e1d6d491364fc7ea4fb5459958f14a476abba13144df5434871a7225fd29af633b0abcd65ec545701b8793e12bc27dc98042b151abce966530fd5542bbb422cb45ecb775f7a1a6bc3ef51c0d544b1518b35364480317ab6d3468f205d
Vendor states this is fixed in 15a0a5de49507062bc3be4014a403d8cea5533de (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2a76bc2b24ed889a689fb1c9015307bf16aafb5b (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5d047b12f86cc3b9fde1171c02d9bccf4dba0632 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6550b2bef095d0dd2d2c8390d2ea4c3837028833 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8ac90f6824fc44d2e55a82503ddfc95defb19ae0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9a1d3e8d40f151c2d5a5f40c410e6e433f62f438 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in b220bed63330c0e1733dc06ea8e75d5b9962b6b6 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.241 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.190 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.147 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.40 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.15.8 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.16 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.100 (unaffected)

References (9)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/15a0a5de49507062bc3be4014a403d8cea5533de
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a76bc2b24ed889a689fb1c9015307bf16aafb5b
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d047b12f86cc3b9fde1171c02d9bccf4dba0632
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6550b2bef095d0dd2d2c8390d2ea4c3837028833
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ac90f6824fc44d2e55a82503ddfc95defb19ae0
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a1d3e8d40f151c2d5a5f40c410e6e433f62f438
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b220bed63330c0e1733dc06ea8e75d5b9962b6b6
Third Party Advisory
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-416

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