{"id":"CVE-2025-38386","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"ACPICA: Refuse to evaluate a method if arguments are missing","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nACPICA: Refuse to evaluate a method if arguments are missing\n\nAs reported in [1], a platform firmware update that increased the number\nof method parameters and forgot to update a least one of its callers,\ncaused ACPICA to crash due to use-after-free.\n\nSince this a result of a clear AML issue that arguably cannot be fixed\nup by the interpreter (it cannot produce missing data out of thin air),\naddress it by making ACPICA refuse to evaluate a method if the caller\nattempts to pass fewer arguments than expected to it.","publishedAt":"2025-07-25T12:53:27.229Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-15T21:52:14.998Z","severity":{"score":7.8,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"Linux"},"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"b49d224d1830c46e20adce2a239c454cdab426f1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"2219e49857ffd6aea1b1ca5214d3270f84623a16","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"ab1e8491c19eb2ea0fda81ef28e841c7cb6399f5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"4305d936abde795c2ef6ba916de8f00a50f64d2d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"d547779e72cea9865b732cd45393c4cd02b3598e","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"18ff4ed6a33a7e3f2097710eacc96bea7696e803","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"c9e4da550ae196132b990bd77ed3d8f2d9747f87","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"6fcab2791543924d438e7fa49276d0998b0a069f","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/acpi/acpica/dsmethod.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"2.6.12","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"2.6.12","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.296","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.240","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.187","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.144","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.97","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.37","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.15.6","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.16","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/acpi/acpica/dsmethod.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b49d224d1830c46e20adce2a239c454cdab426f1","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2219e49857ffd6aea1b1ca5214d3270f84623a16","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab1e8491c19eb2ea0fda81ef28e841c7cb6399f5","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4305d936abde795c2ef6ba916de8f00a50f64d2d","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d547779e72cea9865b732cd45393c4cd02b3598e","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18ff4ed6a33a7e3f2097710eacc96bea7696e803","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9e4da550ae196132b990bd77ed3d8f2d9747f87","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6fcab2791543924d438e7fa49276d0998b0a069f","https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html","https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:09:09.358Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2025/38xxx/CVE-2025-38386.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2025-38386","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2025-07-25T12:53:27.229Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-15T21:52:14.998Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2025-04-16T04:51:24.010Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"ACPICA: Refuse to evaluate a method if arguments are missing","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nACPICA: Refuse to evaluate a method if arguments are missing\n\nAs reported in [1], a platform firmware update that increased the number\nof method parameters and forgot to update a least one of its callers,\ncaused ACPICA to crash due to use-after-free.\n\nSince this a result of a clear AML issue that arguably cannot be fixed\nup by the interpreter (it cannot produce missing data out of thin air),\naddress it by making ACPICA refuse to evaluate a method if the caller\nattempts to pass fewer arguments than expected to it."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"b49d224d1830c46e20adce2a239c454cdab426f1","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"2219e49857ffd6aea1b1ca5214d3270f84623a16","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"ab1e8491c19eb2ea0fda81ef28e841c7cb6399f5","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"4305d936abde795c2ef6ba916de8f00a50f64d2d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"d547779e72cea9865b732cd45393c4cd02b3598e","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"18ff4ed6a33a7e3f2097710eacc96bea7696e803","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"c9e4da550ae196132b990bd77ed3d8f2d9747f87","versionType":"git"},{"version":"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2","status":"affected","lessThan":"6fcab2791543924d438e7fa49276d0998b0a069f","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/acpi/acpica/dsmethod.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"2.6.12","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"2.6.12","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.296","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.240","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.187","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.144","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.97","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.37","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.15.6","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.16","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/acpi/acpica/dsmethod.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b49d224d1830c46e20adce2a239c454cdab426f1"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2219e49857ffd6aea1b1ca5214d3270f84623a16"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab1e8491c19eb2ea0fda81ef28e841c7cb6399f5"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4305d936abde795c2ef6ba916de8f00a50f64d2d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d547779e72cea9865b732cd45393c4cd02b3598e"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18ff4ed6a33a7e3f2097710eacc96bea7696e803"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9e4da550ae196132b990bd77ed3d8f2d9747f87"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6fcab2791543924d438e7fa49276d0998b0a069f"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:L - The vulnerable code is the ACPICA AML interpreter, reachable only through control-method evaluation on the local machine (sysfs/procfs ACPI attributes, thermal/battery/EC paths, device init, suspend/resume); there is no network or adjacent-network path to AML execution.\nAC:L - On an affected system the defect triggers deterministically whenever the mismatched method invocation is evaluated — no race to win, no memory-layout condition to guess, and the stale operand slots are populated by the same walk state's normal expression evaluation.\nPR:L - Many ACPI control methods are evaluated in response to reads of world-accessible sysfs attributes (thermal zone temperature, power-supply uevent, backlight), so an unprivileged local user can repeatedly drive the vulnerable nested-method path without any capability.\nUI:N - Triggering requires only the attacker's own read of an ACPI-backed sysfs attribute or normal runtime ACPI activity; no action by another user or administrator is needed.\nS:U - The use-after-free corrupts kernel heap objects in the ACPICA operand cache, staying entirely within the kernel's own security authority with no crossing into a hypervisor, IOMMU, or other security scope.\nC:H - This is a use-after-free: acpi_ut_update_object_reference() reads the type, package count, and element pointers out of freed, potentially reallocated slab memory, and the resulting premature frees leave live AML-visible buffer/string objects dangling, giving a path to disclose arbitrary kernel memory contents.\nI:H - Decrementing reference counts through stale pointers yields refcount underflow, double-free, and an arbitrary-decrement primitive against reclaimed slab memory — a classic heap-corruption route to control-flow hijack and arbitrary write.\nA:H - The reported real-world symptom was a kernel crash from the use-after-free, and refcount corruption of ACPICA operand objects reliably produces oops/panic, which an unprivileged user can trigger repeatedly."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T12:01:30.990Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"5.4.296"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.240"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.187"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.144"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"6.6.97"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"6.12.37"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"6.15.6"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"2.6.12","versionEndExcluding":"6.16"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}},"adp":[{"title":"CVE Program Container","references":[{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html"},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CVE","orgId":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","dateUpdated":"2025-11-03T17:37:19.069Z"}},{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"id":"CVE-2025-38386","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-10-15T21:49:54.369457Z"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-10-15T21:52:14.998Z"}}]}}}