Vulnary
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Critical· 9.4official fix available

CVE-2025-38146

A critical flaw in the Linux kernel's openvswitch MPLS parsing code can cause an infinite loop when processing malformed MPLS packets, leading to a soft lockup and CPU hang. The issue affects the Linux kernel and Debian Linux 11.0 systems. No active exploitation has been reported.

publishedJul 3, 2025
last modifiedJul 30, 2026
sourcesNVD
severity · cvss
9.4
critical · how bad it is
exploitation · epss
<1%
33th percentile · chance of exploitation in 30 days
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →
auto-deletes from the system
counting…on Aug 29, 2026

An official fix is available, so this entry is kept for 30 days and then removed automatically.

01

Who is affected

Linux kernel users, particularly those running Debian Linux 11.0 with the openvswitch module.

02

Real-world impact

An attacker could send specially crafted MPLS traffic to trigger a dead loop, causing the affected system to become unresponsive or suffer a denial‑of‑service.

03

Why this severity

CVSS v3.1 base score 9.4 (Critical) due to network‑adjacent attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, high impact on confidentiality and availability, and low impact on integrity.

04

What to do about it

official fix available
recommended steps
  1. 01Upgrade the Linux kernel to a version that includes the openvswitch MPLS parse fix for CVE-2025-38146 (consult your distribution's security advisory for the exact version).
  2. 02Reboot the system or restart the networking stack after the upgrade to ensure the patched kernel is loaded.

NVD-referenced vendor advisory (Linux kernel fix)

05

Timeline

  1. Jul 3, 2025 · Jul 3, 2025
    Published
    Disclosed and added to the National Vulnerability Database.
  2. Jul 30, 2026 · 7d ago
    Advisory updated
    The NVD record was last revised.
  3. Jul 30, 2026 · 6d ago
    Official fix available
    A vendor patch or mitigation now exists — see the remediation steps above.
06

How it’s attacked

Attack vectorNetwork (remote)
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone needed
ScopeUnchanged
Confidentiality impactHigh
Integrity impactLow
Availability impactHigh
07

References & advisories

NVD advisory ↗Search advisories ↗
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →