CVE-2025-37946

Kernel use-after-free via duplicate PCI device release

Published May 20, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.9 through 6.12.28 and 6.13 through 6.14.6 allows local users to trigger stale PCI device access. The s390 disable_slot() path calls pci_dev_put() twice when power-off is ignored for a physical function with child virtual functions, releasing the same device reference twice. The trigger requires root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to the PCI hotplug power file; the resulting struct pci_dev can be accessed after release.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.9 through 6.12.28 and 6.13 through 6.14.6 allows local users to trigger stale PCI device access. The s390 disable_slot() path calls pci_dev_put() twice when power-off is ignored for a physical function with child virtual functions, releasing the same device reference twice. The trigger requires root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to the PCI hotplug power file; the resulting struct pci_dev can be accessed after release.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37946
Published
May 20, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 20, 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

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.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.9
  2. Affected versionversion=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <05a2538f2b48500cf4e8a0a0ce76623cc5bafcf1
  3. Affected versionversion=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <957529baef142d95e0d1b1bea786675bd47dbe53
  4. Affected versionversion=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <c488f8b53e156d6dcc0514ef0afa3a33376b8f9e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.9; version=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <05a2538f2b48500cf4e8a0a0ce76623cc5bafcf1; version=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <957529baef142d95e0d1b1bea786675bd47dbe53; version=bcb5d6c769039c8358a2359e7c3ea5d97ce93108 <c488f8b53e156d6dcc0514ef0afa3a33376b8f9e

Published CVSS scores

7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free

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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