CVE-2025-37781

Kernel crash via unchecked parent EC pointer

Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system through cros-ec-tunnel driver probing. The ec_i2c_probe function obtains the parent driver's data and dereferences ec->cmd_xfer without checking whether the returned EC pointer is NULL. The fault occurs when both drivers are built in and probe ordering leaves the parent unavailable, or when the controller is unbound before the tunnel module is loaded or rebound.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
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 kernel allows local users to crash the system through cros-ec-tunnel driver probing. The ec_i2c_probe function obtains the parent driver's data and dereferences ec->cmd_xfer without checking whether the returned EC pointer is NULL. The fault occurs when both drivers are built in and probe ordering leaves the parent unavailable, or when the controller is unbound before the tunnel module is loaded or rebound.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37781
Published
May 1, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 1, 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=3.16
  2. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <092de5ac8cb2eaa9593a765fa92ba39d8173f984
  3. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <1355b5ca4782be85a2ef7275e4c508f770d0fb27
  4. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <3090cad5ccff8963b95160f4060068048a1e4c4c
  5. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <424eafe65647a8d6c690284536e711977153195a
  6. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <b66d4910a608427367c4e21499e149f085782df7
  7. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <cd83035b6f2a102c2d5acd3bfb2a11ff967aaba6
  8. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <da8edc9eb2516aface7f86be5fa6d09c0d07b9f8
  9. Affected versionversion=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <e89bf1311d4497c6743f3021e9c481b16c3a41c9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.16; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <092de5ac8cb2eaa9593a765fa92ba39d8173f984; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <1355b5ca4782be85a2ef7275e4c508f770d0fb27; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <3090cad5ccff8963b95160f4060068048a1e4c4c; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <424eafe65647a8d6c690284536e711977153195a; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <b66d4910a608427367c4e21499e149f085782df7; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <cd83035b6f2a102c2d5acd3bfb2a11ff967aaba6; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <da8edc9eb2516aface7f86be5fa6d09c0d07b9f8; version=9d230c9e4f4e67cb1c1cb9e0f6142da16b0f2796 <e89bf1311d4497c6743f3021e9c481b16c3a41c9

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Canonical UbuntuCVSS: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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 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
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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