CVE-2025-21649

Kernel crash via null PTP dereference

Published Jan 19, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux hns3 driver from 5.14 allows local users to crash the kernel through timestamped traffic. On HIP08 devices, hns3_nic_net_xmit passes SKBTX_HW_TSTAMP traffic to hclge_ptp_set_tx_info, which dereferences hdev->ptp even though no PTP device is registered. A low-privileged user must request hardware timestamping on an affected HIP08 interface; the bounded consequence is a host-wide kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux hns3 driver from 5.14 allows local users to crash the kernel through timestamped traffic. On HIP08 devices, hns3_nic_net_xmit passes SKBTX_HW_TSTAMP traffic to hclge_ptp_set_tx_info, which dereferences hdev->ptp even though no PTP device is registered. A low-privileged user must request hardware timestamping on an affected HIP08 interface; the bounded consequence is a host-wide kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21649
Published
Jan 19, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0bf5eb788512187b744ef7f79de835e6cbe85b9c <9741e72b2286de8b38de9db685588ac421a95c87
  2. Affected versionversion=0bf5eb788512187b744ef7f79de835e6cbe85b9c <f19ab3ef96d9626e5f1bdc56d3574c355e83d623
  3. Affected versionversion=5.14

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0bf5eb788512187b744ef7f79de835e6cbe85b9c <9741e72b2286de8b38de9db685588ac421a95c87; version=0bf5eb788512187b744ef7f79de835e6cbe85b9c <f19ab3ef96d9626e5f1bdc56d3574c355e83d623; version=5.14

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA ADP VulnrichmentCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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