Kernel crash via stale Type-C device pointer
Published May 20, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel USB Type-C class allows local users to crash the kernel by disconnecting and reconnecting a device. The USB hub's missed detachment notification leaves port->usb3_dev pointing to a released device, and typec_register_partner dereferences that obsolete pointer on the next connection. Access to a Type-C port and a low-privileged local session are required; exploitation causes a kernel oops and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel USB Type-C class allows local users to crash the kernel by disconnecting and reconnecting a device. The USB hub's missed detachment notification leaves port->usb3_dev pointing to a released device, and typec_register_partner dereferences that obsolete pointer on the next connection. Access to a Type-C port and a low-privileged local session are required; exploitation causes a kernel oops and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37986
- Published
- May 20, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 20, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=59de2a56d127890cc610f3896d5fc31887c54ac2 <40966fc9939e85677fdb489dfddfa205baaad03b
- Affected versionversion=59de2a56d127890cc610f3896d5fc31887c54ac2 <66e1a887273c6b89f09bc11a40d0a71d5a081a8e
- Affected versionversion=59de2a56d127890cc610f3896d5fc31887c54ac2 <74911338f47c13d1b9470fc50718182bffad42e2
- Affected versionversion=6.7
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
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