CVE-2025-38110
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-07-03

Last updated on: 2025-11-20

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mdiobus: Fix potential out-of-bounds clause 45 read/write access When using publicly available tools like 'mdio-tools' to read/write data from/to network interface and its PHY via C45 (clause 45) mdiobus, there is no verification of parameters passed to the ioctl and it accepts any mdio address. Currently there is support for 32 addresses in kernel via PHY_MAX_ADDR define, but it is possible to pass higher value than that via ioctl. While read/write operation should generally fail in this case, mdiobus provides stats array, where wrong address may allow out-of-bounds read/write. Fix that by adding address verification before C45 read/write operation. While this excludes this access from any statistics, it improves security of read/write operation.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-07-03
Last Modified
2025-11-20
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2025-07-03
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
CVE-2025-38110
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 6.16
linux linux_kernel From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-125 The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
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AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's net/mdiobus subsystem allows out-of-bounds read/write access when using tools like 'mdio-tools' to interact with network interface PHY devices via clause 45 (C45) mdiobus. The ioctl interface does not verify the mdio address parameter, allowing addresses beyond the supported 32 (PHY_MAX_ADDR) to be used. This can lead to out-of-bounds access in the stats array, potentially causing incorrect behavior or security issues. The fix adds address verification before C45 read/write operations to prevent this.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can lead to out-of-bounds memory access in the kernel, which may cause system instability, crashes, or potentially allow an attacker to manipulate kernel memory. This could compromise the security and reliability of the affected system, especially if untrusted users or processes can invoke the vulnerable ioctl calls.


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

Apply the patch or update to the fixed Linux kernel version that includes the address verification for C45 read/write operations in net/mdiobus. This prevents out-of-bounds access by verifying mdio addresses before performing operations.


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