NULL Pointer Dereference Affecting kernel-syms package, versions <6.4.0-150600.23.65.1


Severity

Recommended
0.0
medium
0
10

Based on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server security rating.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.03% (9th percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-SLES156-KERNELSYMS-12219707
  • published28 Aug 2025
  • disclosed27 Aug 2025

Introduced: 27 Aug 2025

CVE-2025-38210  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-476  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade SLES:15.6 kernel-syms to version 6.4.0-150600.23.65.1 or higher.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream kernel-syms package and not the kernel-syms package as distributed by SLES. See How to fix? for SLES:15.6 relevant fixed versions and status.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

configfs-tsm-report: Fix NULL dereference of tsm_ops

Unlike sysfs, the lifetime of configfs objects is controlled by userspace. There is no mechanism for the kernel to find and delete all created config-items. Instead, the configfs-tsm-report mechanism has an expectation that tsm_unregister() can happen at any time and cause established config-item access to start failing.

That expectation is not fully satisfied. While tsm_report_read(), tsm_report_{is,is_bin}_visible(), and tsm_report_make_item() safely fail if tsm_ops have been unregistered, tsm_report_privlevel_store() tsm_report_provider_show() fail to check for ops registration. Add the missing checks for tsm_ops having been removed.

Now, in supporting the ability for tsm_unregister() to always succeed, it leaves the problem of what to do with lingering config-items. The expectation is that the admin that arranges for the ->remove() (unbind) of the ${tsm_arch}-guest driver is also responsible for deletion of all open config-items. Until that deletion happens, ->probe() (reload / bind) of the ${tsm_arch}-guest driver fails.

This allows for emergency shutdown / revocation of attestation interfaces, and requires coordinated restart.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1