HighFix available

perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes

Type: advisorySources: OSV

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes Jann reports that uprobes can be used destructively when used in the middle of an instruction. The kernel only verifies there is a valid instruction at the requested offset, but due to variable instruction length cannot determine if this is an instruction as seen by the intended execution stream. Additionally, Mark Rutland notes that on architectures that mix data in the text segment (like arm64), a similar things can be done if the data word is 'mistaken' for an instruction. As such, require CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes.

Products: Kernel
Affected versions: Not specified
Fixed versions: 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146, 6.12.39, 6.15.7, 6.6.99
CVEs: CVE-2025-38466
Confirmed fixed CVEs: Not specified
Updated in this feed: 6 Nov 2026, 02:53 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes

core-osv · Original source

Published 25 Jul 2025, 15:27 UTC

osv:CVE-2025-38466

Kernel

Fixed versions: 5.10.240, 5.15.189, 6.1.146, 6.6.99, 6.12.39, 6.15.7

Complete source record

{
  "id": "dd0d6f37f69bc2894cd444caa29a693f309704f7ec6cc3aa62a680d99e2b9b6a",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38466",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes",
    "summary": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Revert to requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes Jann reports that uprobes can be used destructively when used in the middle of an instruction. The kernel only verifies there is a valid instruction at the requested offset, but due to variable instruction length cannot determine if this is an instruction as seen by the intended execution stream. Additionally, Mark Rutland notes that on architectures that mix data in the text segment (like arm64), a similar things can be done if the data word is 'mistaken' for an instruction. As such, require CAP_SYS_ADMIN for uprobes.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2025-38466",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "Kernel",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "5.10.240",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "5.15.189",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.1.146",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.6.99",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.12.39",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.15.7",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2025-38466",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2025-38466"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "c9e0924e5c2b59365f9c0d43ff8722e79ecf4088"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "d7ef1afd5b3f43f4924326164cee5397b66abd9c"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "c0aec35f861fa746ca45aa816161c74352e6ada8"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "8e8bf7bc6aa6f583336c2fda280b6cea0aed5612"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "183bdb89af1b5193b1d1d9316986053b15ca6fa4"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "a0a8009083e569b5526c64f7d3f2a62baca95164"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "d5074256b642cdeb46a70ce2f15193e766edca68"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "ba677dbe77af5ffe6204e0f3f547f3ba059c6302"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2025-38466.json"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "5.8.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5.10.240"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "5.11.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5.15.189"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "5.16.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.1.146"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.2.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.6.99"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.7.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.12.39"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.13.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.15.7"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "Kernel",
            "ecosystem": "Linux"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2025-38466.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:46.481306716Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/183bdb89af1b5193b1d1d9316986053b15ca6fa4",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e8bf7bc6aa6f583336c2fda280b6cea0aed5612",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0a8009083e569b5526c64f7d3f2a62baca95164",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba677dbe77af5ffe6204e0f3f547f3ba059c6302",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0aec35f861fa746ca45aa816161c74352e6ada8",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5074256b642cdeb46a70ce2f15193e766edca68",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7ef1afd5b3f43f4924326164cee5397b66abd9c",
        "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html",
        "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/38xxx/CVE-2025-38466.json",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38466",
        "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cna_assigner": "Linux",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/38xxx/CVE-2025-38466.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2025-38466",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 514445,
  "published_at": "2025-07-25T15:27:48.235+00:00"
}