Kernel panic via corrupted ath11k interface list
Published Jul 10, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Denial of service in the Linux kernel ath11k driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during concurrent WLAN recovery and vif removal. ath11k_core_halt() reinitializes only the arvifs list head, leaving the following interface node linked to a head that no longer links back; list_del() then detects the corruption. Exploitation requires an ath11k device and a WLAN recovery to race with interface removal, and the bounded consequence is a host crash.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in the Linux kernel ath11k driver allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during concurrent WLAN recovery and vif removal. ath11k_core_halt() reinitializes only the arvifs list head, leaving the following interface node linked to a head that no longer links back; list_del() then detects the corruption. Exploitation requires an ath11k device and a WLAN recovery to race with interface removal, and the bounded consequence is a host crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38293
- Published
- Jul 10, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 10, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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=5.6
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <31e98e277ae47f56632e4d663b1d4fd12ba33ea8
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <6c139015b597e570dd5962934e9f9a2f4cc8ef48
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <6d6cb27fe146061f2512e904618f5e005bb7bb6a
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <b0974ed82e6ad5ff246fd90a5b14f3e7be4f2924
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <f50ba7e7b607f2d00618799312e7fdb76a1ff48e
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <f5d77d0d41ea7a204d47288d0cf0404a52b5890e
- Affected versionversion=d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d <f9507cf2dd0e1ed5028c0e8240da6fe5fd3110d3
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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