CVE-2025-38512 — wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks This patch is a mitigation to prevent the A-MSDU spoofing vulnerability for mesh networks. The initial update to the IEEE 802.11 standard, in response to the FragAttacks, missed this case (CVE-2025-27558). It can be considered a variant of CVE-2020-24588 but for mesh networks. This patch tries to detect if a standard MSDU was turned into an A-MSDU by an adversary. This is done by parsing a received A-MSDU as a standard MSDU, calculating the length of the Mesh Control header, and seeing if the 6 bytes after this header equal the start of an rfc1042 header. If equal, this is a strong indication of an ongoing attack attempt. This defense was tested with mac80211_hwsim against a mesh network that uses an empty Mesh Address Extension field, i.e., when four addresses are used, and when using a 12-byte Mesh Address Extension field, i.e., when six addresses are used. Functionality of normal MSDUs and A-MSDUs was also tested, and confirmed working, when using both an empty and 12-byte Mesh Address Extension field. It was also tested with mac80211_hwsim that A-MSDU attacks in non-mesh networks keep being detected and prevented. Note that the vulnerability being patched, and the defense being implemented, was also discussed in the following paper and in the following IEEE 802.11 presentation: https://papers.mathyvanhoef.com/wisec2025.pdf https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/25/11-25-0949-00-000m-a-msdu-mesh-spoof-protection.docx
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 11.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Linux | Linux | version 6.3≥ 6.1.107 and < 6.1.146≥ 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 and < 737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb≥ 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 and < 6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de≥ 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 and < e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32≥ 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 and < ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd≥ 79720743421753ff72bfa0d79976c534645b81c1 and < e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 6.16-rc4version 6.16-rc5version 6.16-rc3version 6.16-rc2version 6.16-rc1≥ 6.13 and < 6.15.7≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.39≥ 6.3 and < 6.6.99 and 1 more≥ 6.1.107 and < 6.1.146 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel, debian/debian linux
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
8 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-hxq3-8p4p-wv7w
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38512
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2025-38512 is "wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks", rated High. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.23% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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