CVE-2025-37989

Service interruption via leaked PHY LED allocations

Published May 20, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the Linux kernel PHY LED trigger code allows local users to exhaust memory through repeated network restarts. phy_led_triggers_register uses device-managed allocations even though registration and unregistration can repeat without driver unbinding, so detached trigger allocations remain retained. The path requires low-privileged local access and a PHY device using LED triggers; sustained exhaustion can interrupt the system.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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

Memory leak in the Linux kernel PHY LED trigger code allows local users to exhaust memory through repeated network restarts. phy_led_triggers_register uses device-managed allocations even though registration and unregistration can repeat without driver unbinding, so detached trigger allocations remain retained. The path requires low-privileged local access and a PHY device using LED triggers; sustained exhaustion can interrupt the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37989
Published
May 20, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

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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=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <41143e71052a00d654c15dc924fda50c1e7357d0
  2. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <618541a6cc1511064dfa58c89b3445e21844092f
  3. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <663c3da86e807c6c07ed48f911c7526fad6fe1ff
  4. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <7f3d5880800f962c347777c4f8358f29f5fc403c
  5. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <95bed65cc0eb2a610550abf849a8b94374da80a7
  6. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <966d6494e2ed9be9052fcd9815afba830896aaf8
  7. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <b7f0ee992adf601aa00c252418266177eb7ac2bc
  8. Affected versionversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <f41f097f68a33d392579885426d0734a81219501
  9. Affected versionversion=4.10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <41143e71052a00d654c15dc924fda50c1e7357d0; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <618541a6cc1511064dfa58c89b3445e21844092f; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <663c3da86e807c6c07ed48f911c7526fad6fe1ff; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <7f3d5880800f962c347777c4f8358f29f5fc403c; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <95bed65cc0eb2a610550abf849a8b94374da80a7; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <966d6494e2ed9be9052fcd9815afba830896aaf8; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <b7f0ee992adf601aa00c252418266177eb7ac2bc; version=2e0bc452f4721520502575362a9cd3c1248d2337 <f41f097f68a33d392579885426d0734a81219501; version=4.10

Published CVSS scores

4.7Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CanonicalCVSS: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-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

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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