CVE-2025-38277

Kernel crash via uninitialized ECC return value

Published Jul 10, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use of an uninitialized variable in the MXIC NAND ECC driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a zero-step ECC path. In drivers/mtd/nand/ecc-mxic.c, a zero ctx->steps value skips the ECC-step loop, leaving ret undefined before later code tests and returns it. Reachability requires the MXIC NAND ECC path plus zero-step geometry or ECC-engine misuse; successful triggering can return unpredictable results to user space or crash the kernel.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use of an uninitialized variable in the MXIC NAND ECC driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a zero-step ECC path. In drivers/mtd/nand/ecc-mxic.c, a zero ctx->steps value skips the ECC-step loop, leaving ret undefined before later code tests and returns it. Reachability requires the MXIC NAND ECC path plus zero-step geometry or ECC-engine misuse; successful triggering can return unpredictable results to user space or crash the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38277
Published
Jul 10, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 10, 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=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <49482f4a39620f6afedcd3f6aa9e0d558b6a460b
  2. Affected versionversion=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <4d9d6e4be09472aa72953caca3dbefdc27846170
  3. Affected versionversion=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <7a23cc510ecaabab4f6df7e9d910d16e279b72ad
  4. Affected versionversion=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <a0d9d9b5a4634e146ae41cb25667322e5c7d74d2
  5. Affected versionversion=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <d95846350aac72303036a70c4cdc69ae314aa26d
  6. Affected versionversion=5.18

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <49482f4a39620f6afedcd3f6aa9e0d558b6a460b; version=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <4d9d6e4be09472aa72953caca3dbefdc27846170; version=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <7a23cc510ecaabab4f6df7e9d910d16e279b72ad; version=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <a0d9d9b5a4634e146ae41cb25667322e5c7d74d2; version=48e6633a9fa2400b53a964358753769f291a7eb0 <d95846350aac72303036a70c4cdc69ae314aa26d; version=5.18

Published CVSS scores

6.6SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
6.9SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
5.5NVDCVSS: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

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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

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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