---
id: CVE-2025-38167
title: 'fs/ntfs3: handle hdr_first_de() return value'
summary: |-
  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 effe…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    5390b3d4c6d41d05bb9149d094d504cbc9ea85bf
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    83cd0aa74793384dbdffc140500b200e9776a302
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    701340a25b1ad210e6b8192195be21fd3fcc22c7
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    2d5879f64554181b89f44d4817b9ea86e8e913e1
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    4ecd0cde89feee26525ccdf1af0c1ae156ca010b
  - >-
    Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 <
    af5cab0e5b6f8edb0be51a9f47f3f620e0b4fd70
  - Linux 5.15
published: '2025-07-03'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T01:06:41.047Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38167'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5390b3d4c6d41d05bb9149d094d504cbc9ea85bf'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83cd0aa74793384dbdffc140500b200e9776a302'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/701340a25b1ad210e6b8192195be21fd3fcc22c7'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d5879f64554181b89f44d4817b9ea86e8e913e1'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ecd0cde89feee26525ccdf1af0c1ae156ca010b'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af5cab0e5b6f8edb0be51a9f47f3f620e0b4fd70'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00168
epssPercentile: 0.05964
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T05:52:46.094Z'
---

## Overview

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

- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 5390b3d4c6d41d05bb9149d094d504cbc9ea85bf`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 83cd0aa74793384dbdffc140500b200e9776a302`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 701340a25b1ad210e6b8192195be21fd3fcc22c7`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 2d5879f64554181b89f44d4817b9ea86e8e913e1`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < 4ecd0cde89feee26525ccdf1af0c1ae156ca010b`
- `Linux >= 82cae269cfa953032fbb8980a7d554d60fb00b17 < af5cab0e5b6f8edb0be51a9f47f3f620e0b4fd70`
- `Linux 5.15`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.