Kernel memory corruption via oversized SFR buffer
Published May 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Out-of-bounds write in the Linux Venus HFI driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a malicious firmware response. The hfi_venus.c error handler trusts shared-memory sfr->buf_size and writes a terminator at that unchecked offset when the reported size exceeds the allocated SFR data buffer. Reachability requires a Qualcomm Venus video core and a crafted or subverted firmware response; exploitation can disclose or corrupt adjacent kernel memory or crash the system.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds write in the Linux Venus HFI driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a malicious firmware response. The hfi_venus.c error handler trusts shared-memory sfr->buf_size and writes a terminator at that unchecked offset when the reported size exceeds the allocated SFR data buffer. Reachability requires a Qualcomm Venus video core and a crafted or subverted firmware response; exploitation can disclose or corrupt adjacent kernel memory or crash the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-23159
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-787
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.13
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <1b8fb257234e7d2d4b3f48af07c5aa5e11c71634
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <4dd109038d513b92d4d33524ffc89ba32e02ba48
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <4e95233af57715d81830fe82b408c633edff59f4
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <530f623f56a6680792499a8404083e17f8ec51f4
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <5af611c70fb889d46d2f654b8996746e59556750
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <8879397c0da5e5ec1515262995e82cdfd61b282a
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <a062d8de0be5525ec8c52f070acf7607ec8cbfe4
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <d78a8388a27b265fcb2b8d064f088168ac9356b0
- Affected versionversion=d96d3f30c0f2f564f6922bf4ccdf4464992e31fb <f4b211714bcc70effa60c34d9fa613d182e3ef1e
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo