CVE-2025-39711
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-09-05

Last updated on: 2025-11-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: ivsc: Fix crash at shutdown due to missing mei_cldev_disable() calls Both the ACE and CSI driver are missing a mei_cldev_disable() call in their remove() function. This causes the mei_cl client to stay part of the mei_device->file_list list even though its memory is freed by mei_cl_bus_dev_release() calling kfree(cldev->cl). This leads to a use-after-free when mei_vsc_remove() runs mei_stop() which first removes all mei bus devices calling mei_ace_remove() and mei_csi_remove() followed by mei_cl_bus_dev_release() and then calls mei_cl_all_disconnect() which walks over mei_device->file_list dereferecing the just freed cldev->cl. And mei_vsc_remove() it self is run at shutdown because of the platform_device_unregister(tp->pdev) in vsc_tp_shutdown() When building a kernel with KASAN this leads to the following KASAN report: [ 106.634504] ================================================================== [ 106.634623] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mei_cl_set_disconnected (drivers/misc/mei/client.c:783) mei [ 106.634683] Read of size 4 at addr ffff88819cb62018 by task systemd-shutdow/1 [ 106.634729] [ 106.634767] Tainted: [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE [ 106.634770] Hardware name: Dell Inc. XPS 16 9640/09CK4V, BIOS 1.12.0 02/10/2025 [ 106.634773] Call Trace: [ 106.634777] <TASK> ... [ 106.634871] kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:221 mm/kasan/report.c:636) [ 106.634901] mei_cl_set_disconnected (drivers/misc/mei/client.c:783) mei [ 106.634921] mei_cl_all_disconnect (drivers/misc/mei/client.c:2165 (discriminator 4)) mei [ 106.634941] mei_reset (drivers/misc/mei/init.c:163) mei ... [ 106.635042] mei_stop (drivers/misc/mei/init.c:348) mei [ 106.635062] mei_vsc_remove (drivers/misc/mei/mei_dev.h:784 drivers/misc/mei/platform-vsc.c:393) mei_vsc [ 106.635066] platform_remove (drivers/base/platform.c:1424) Add the missing mei_cldev_disable() calls so that the mei_cl gets removed from mei_device->file_list before it is freed to fix this.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-09-05
Last Modified
2025-11-25
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2025-09-05
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2025-39711
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
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-416 The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel's media ivsc driver. Specifically, the ACE and CSI drivers fail to call mei_cldev_disable() in their remove() functions, causing a client to remain in a device's file list after its memory has been freed. When the system shuts down and mei_vsc_remove() runs, it attempts to access this freed memory, leading to a crash.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to crash during system shutdown due to a use-after-free error. This can lead to system instability or unexpected shutdown behavior, potentially causing data loss or service interruption.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by observing kernel crash logs or KASAN (Kernel Address Sanitizer) reports during system shutdown. Specifically, look for KASAN slab-use-after-free errors related to mei_cl_set_disconnected in the kernel logs. You can check the kernel logs using commands like `dmesg | grep -i kasan` or `journalctl -k | grep -i kasan` to find relevant error messages indicating the use-after-free issue in the mei driver.

Mitigation Strategies

The immediate mitigation is to update the Linux kernel to a version where the missing mei_cldev_disable() calls have been added to the ACE and CSI driver's remove() functions. This fix ensures that the mei_cl client is properly removed from the mei_device file_list before its memory is freed, preventing the use-after-free crash at shutdown. Until the update is applied, avoid shutting down or rebooting the system frequently to reduce the chance of triggering the issue.

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