Kernel crash via pointer-sized CMIS reply length
Published May 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Stack corruption in Linux 6.11 and later affected branches allows local users to crash the kernel during CMIS firmware flashing. In ethtool_cmis_module_poll(), a one-byte reply object is passed by pointer, but the poll call uses the pointer's size and overwrites seven adjacent stack bytes. A local request needs namespace-scoped CAP_NET_ADMIN and a CMIS transceiver; the observed consequence is an immediate kernel panic.
Summary
What happened
Stack corruption in Linux 6.11 and later affected branches allows local users to crash the kernel during CMIS firmware flashing. In ethtool_cmis_module_poll(), a one-byte reply object is passed by pointer, but the poll call uses the pointer's size and overwrites seven adjacent stack bytes. A local request needs namespace-scoped CAP_NET_ADMIN and a CMIS transceiver; the observed consequence is an immediate kernel panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37791
- Published
- May 1, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=6.11
- Affected versionversion=a39c84d796254e6b1662ca0c46dbc313379e9291 <61765e1b417a23371c3735e3cddf4ad9354ed2e9
- Affected versionversion=a39c84d796254e6b1662ca0c46dbc313379e9291 <7eb0a0072f966bb0b01d8b7d529d9743a7187bd1
- Affected versionversion=a39c84d796254e6b1662ca0c46dbc313379e9291 <f3fdd4fba16c74697d8bc730b82fb7c1eff7fab3
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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