CVE-2025-38692 — exfat: add cluster chain loop check for dir
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: exfat: add cluster chain loop check for dir An infinite loop may occur if the following conditions occur due to file system corruption. (1) Condition for exfat_count_dir_entries() to loop infinitely. - The cluster chain includes a loop. - There is no UNUSED entry in the cluster chain. (2) Condition for exfat_create_upcase_table() to loop infinitely. - The cluster chain of the root directory includes a loop. - There are no UNUSED entry and up-case table entry in the cluster chain of the root directory. (3) Condition for exfat_load_bitmap() to loop infinitely. - The cluster chain of the root directory includes a loop. - There are no UNUSED entry and bitmap entry in the cluster chain of the root directory. (4) Condition for exfat_find_dir_entry() to loop infinitely. - The cluster chain includes a loop. - The unused directory entries were exhausted by some operation. (5) Condition for exfat_check_dir_empty() to loop infinitely. - The cluster chain includes a loop. - The unused directory entries were exhausted by some operation. - All files and sub-directories under the directory are deleted. This commit adds checks to break the above infinite loop.
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)+1
- Technical severity (medium)+3
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.
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 (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 and < 868f23286c1a13162330fa6c614fe350f78e3f82≥ 1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 and < aa8fe7b7b73d4c9a41bb96cb3fb3092f794ecb33≥ 1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 and < e2066ca3ef49a30920d8536fa366b2a183a808ee≥ 1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 and < 4c3cda20c4cf1871e27868d08fda06b79bc7d568≥ 1acf1a564b6034b5af1e7fb23cb98cb3bb4f6003 and < 99f9a97dce39ad413c39b92c90393bbd6778f3fdversion 5.7 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 5.7 and < 6.6.103≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.43≥ 6.13 and < 6.15.11≥ 6.16 and < 6.16.2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
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.
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
References
7 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c3cda20c4cf1871e27868d08fda06b79bc7d568
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2066ca3ef49a30920d8536fa366b2a183a808ee
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa8fe7b7b73d4c9a41bb96cb3fb3092f794ecb33
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/99f9a97dce39ad413c39b92c90393bbd6778f3fd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/868f23286c1a13162330fa6c614fe350f78e3f82
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-77v7-59c5-2xxh
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38692
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-98866 sched/cache: Introduce task_struct->sched_cache_grp to fix UAF 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98867 dm-pcache: bound the logical key offset from persistent memory 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98868 dm-pcache: reject a kset that overruns its segment 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98856 kprobes: Skip disarmed probes when checking optkprobe overlap 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98857 ipvs: bound LBLCR and LBLC cache growth 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98858 io_uring: fix task_work add use-after-free with SQPOLL 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 CISA SSVC assessment.
- 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-2025-38692 is "exfat: add cluster chain loop check for dir", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.16% 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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