Local system crash via unchecked cpufreq result
Published May 8, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Apple SoC CPUFreq driver in Linux allows local users to crash the system via CPU frequency queries. When a query targets a CPU outside policy->cpus, apple_soc_cpufreq_get_rate() dereferences the NULL returned by cpufreq_cpu_get_raw(). Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, an Apple SoC using this driver, and the mismatched CPU policy state; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Apple SoC CPUFreq driver in Linux allows local users to crash the system via CPU frequency queries. When a query targets a CPU outside policy->cpus, apple_soc_cpufreq_get_rate() dereferences the NULL returned by cpufreq_cpu_get_raw(). Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, an Apple SoC using this driver, and the mismatched CPU policy state; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37831
- Published
- May 8, 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
- May 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.2
- Affected versionversion=6286bbb40576ffadfde206c332b61345c19af57f <01e86ea22610d98ae6141e428019a6916e79f725
- Affected versionversion=6286bbb40576ffadfde206c332b61345c19af57f <1053dcf8a504d4933bb3f73df22bc363298d194b
- Affected versionversion=6286bbb40576ffadfde206c332b61345c19af57f <9992649f6786921873a9b89dafa5e04d8c5fef2b
- Affected versionversion=6286bbb40576ffadfde206c332b61345c19af57f <fbdba5f37413dbc09d82ad7235e5b7a2fb8e0f75
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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