CVE-2025-38281

Kernel crash via unchecked thermal-device name allocation

Published Jul 10, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.14 through 6.15.2 allows local users to crash the kernel during mt7996 initialization. In mt7996_thermal_init, devm_kasprintf can return NULL while allocating a thermal-device name, and the unchecked result is passed onward and dereferenced. Reachability requires a low-privileged local context, the MediaTek mt7996 wireless driver, and an allocation failure; the documented consequence is a kernel crash without confidentiality or integrity impact.

CVSS severity5.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
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 6.14 through 6.15.2 allows local users to crash the kernel during mt7996 initialization. In mt7996_thermal_init, devm_kasprintf can return NULL while allocating a thermal-device name, and the unchecked result is passed onward and dereferenced. Reachability requires a low-privileged local context, the MediaTek mt7996 wireless driver, and an allocation failure; the documented consequence is a kernel crash without confidentiality or integrity impact.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38281
Published
Jul 10, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
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=6.14
  2. Affected versionversion=69d54ce7491d046eaae05de7fb2493319a481991 <8340cb173750c1ea99cd643006b72f8b0e6c21f2
  3. Affected versionversion=69d54ce7491d046eaae05de7fb2493319a481991 <caf4b347c5dc40fdd125793b5e82ba9fc4de5275

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.14; version=69d54ce7491d046eaae05de7fb2493319a481991 <8340cb173750c1ea99cd643006b72f8b0e6c21f2; version=69d54ce7491d046eaae05de7fb2493319a481991 <caf4b347c5dc40fdd125793b5e82ba9fc4de5275

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.7UbuntuCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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

No sourced classifications are available.

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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