CVE-2025-38167: fs/ntfs3: handle hdr_first_de() return value

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-07-03 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-476

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/ntfs3: handle hdr_first_de() return value The hdr_first_de() function returns a pointer to a struct NTFS_DE. This pointer may be NULL. To handle the NULL error effectively, it is important to implement an error handler. This will help manage potential errors consistently. Additionally, error handling for the return value already exists at other points where this function is called. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE.

Affected products

Debian Linux: 11.0
Linux kernel: from 5.15 before 5.15.186; from 5.16 before 6.1.142; from 6.2 before 6.6.94; from 6.7 before 6.12.34; from 6.13 before 6.15.3 — fixed in 5.15.186, 6.1.142, 6.12.34, 6.15.3, 6.6.94

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.15.186, 6.1.142, 6.12.34, 6.15.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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