CVE-2025-38086
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-06-28
Last updated on: 2025-12-17
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.3.1 (inc) to 5.4.295 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.5 (inc) to 5.10.239 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.186 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.142 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.95 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.35 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.15.4 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 4.3 |
| debian | debian_linux | 11.0 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-908 | The product uses or accesses a resource that has not been initialized. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability occurs in the Linux kernel's ch9200 network driver, specifically in the mii_nway_restart() function. The function calls ch9200_mdio_read(), which uses a local buffer 'buff' that is supposed to be initialized by control_read(). However, control_read() only initializes 'buff' if a certain condition (err == size) is met. If this condition is not met, 'buff' remains uninitialized but is still accessed and returned by ch9200_mdio_read(), leading to uninitialized memory access. The root cause is that ch9200_mdio_read() ignores the return value of control_read(), which should be checked to avoid using uninitialized data. The fix involves checking the return value of control_read() and returning early on error to prevent uninitialized access.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can lead to uninitialized memory access in the Linux kernel's network driver, which may cause undefined behavior such as system instability, crashes, or potential information leakage. Since it involves reading uninitialized data, it could expose sensitive kernel memory contents or cause kernel faults, impacting system reliability and security.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version where the ch9200 driver has been fixed to properly check the return value of control_read() in mii_nway_restart(), preventing uninitialized buffer access. Until then, avoid using affected hardware or drivers if possible.