CVE-2025-38531

Kernel panic via uninitialized IIO device structure

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use of an uninitialized device structure in affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during ST sensor probing. The st_sensors probe paths pass &indio_dev->dev to logging helpers before initialization, and dev_err_probe dereferences it after regulator setup fails. Reachability requires the ST sensor probe to enter that failure path; the documented consequence is a host-wide kernel panic.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
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 device structure in affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during ST sensor probing. The st_sensors probe paths pass &indio_dev->dev to logging helpers before initialization, and dev_err_probe dereferences it after regulator setup fails. Reachability requires the ST sensor probe to enter that failure path; the documented consequence is a host-wide kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38531
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-908, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 16, 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=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <3297a9016a45144883ec990bd4bd5b1d79cafb46
  2. Affected versionversion=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <610615c9668037e3eca11132063b93b2d945af13
  3. Affected versionversion=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <9f92e93e257b33e73622640a9205f8642ec16ddd
  4. Affected versionversion=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <f9d4b618f1b9e6d760cc7c15052b92f7faf47201
  5. Affected versionversion=5.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <3297a9016a45144883ec990bd4bd5b1d79cafb46; version=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <610615c9668037e3eca11132063b93b2d945af13; version=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <9f92e93e257b33e73622640a9205f8642ec16ddd; version=4dff754876959b3f3b354800089bc8aaa3ec1d95 <f9d4b618f1b9e6d760cc7c15052b92f7faf47201; version=5.16

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.9SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
6.1SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-908Use of Uninitialized Resource
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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