// For flags

CVE-2025-38528

bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers

Severity Score

5.5
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers static const char fmt[] = "%p%"; bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt)); The above BPF program isn't rejected and causes a kernel warning at
runtime: Please remove unsupported %\x00 in format string WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 at lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0 This happens because bpf_bprintf_prepare skips over the second %,
detected as punctuation, while processing %p. This patch fixes it by
not skipping over punctuation. %\x00 is then processed in the next
iteration and rejected.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Reject %p% format string in bprintf-like helpers static const char fmt[] = "%p%"; bpf_trace_printk(fmt, sizeof(fmt)); The above BPF program isn't rejected and causes a kernel warning at runtime: Please remove unsupported %\x00 in format string WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 7244 at lib/vsprintf.c:2680 format_decode+0x49c/0x5d0 This happens because bpf_bprintf_prepare skips over the second %, detected as punctuation, while processing %p. This patch fixes it by not skipping over punctuation. %\x00 is then processed in the next iteration and rejected.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Complete
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2025-04-16 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-08-16 CVE Published
  • 2025-08-16 CVE Updated
  • 2025-08-16 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
 Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
 >= 5.13 < 6.1.147
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.13 < 6.1.147"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
 Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
 >= 5.13 < 6.6.100
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.13 < 6.6.100"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
 Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
 >= 5.13 < 6.12.40
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.13 < 6.12.40"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
 Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
 >= 5.13 < 6.15.8
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.13 < 6.15.8"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
 Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
 >= 5.13 < 6.16
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 5.13 < 6.16"
en
Affected