CVE-2025-38149

Local system crash via stale PHY device link

Published Jul 3, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system during a failed network-port reattachment. phy_detach() deletes a device link without clearing phydev->devlink, so a later phy_attach_direct() error path reuses the stale pointer in device_link_del(). The trigger requires disabling and re-enabling a network port followed by attachment failure before a replacement device link is created.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system during a failed network-port reattachment. phy_detach() deletes a device link without clearing phydev->devlink, so a later phy_attach_direct() error path reuses the stale pointer in device_link_del(). The trigger requires disabling and re-enabling a network port followed by attachment failure before a replacement device link is created.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38149
Published
Jul 3, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 3, 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=6.2
  2. Affected versionversion=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <034bc4a2a72dea2cfcaf24c6bae03c38ad5a0b87
  3. Affected versionversion=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <0795b05a59b1371b18ffbf09d385296b12e9f5d5
  4. Affected versionversion=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <363fdf2777423ad346d781f09548cca14877f729
  5. Affected versionversion=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <ddc654e89ace723b78c34911c65243accbc9b75c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.2; version=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <034bc4a2a72dea2cfcaf24c6bae03c38ad5a0b87; version=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <0795b05a59b1371b18ffbf09d385296b12e9f5d5; version=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <363fdf2777423ad346d781f09548cca14877f729; version=bc66fa87d4fda9053a8145e5718fc278c2b88253 <ddc654e89ace723b78c34911c65243accbc9b75c

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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