CVE-2025-38535

Kernel warning via unbalanced regulator disable

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Resource-management error in affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger warnings through a crafted USB role transition. tegra186_xusb_padctl_id_override() disables an always-on regulator on a device-to-none transition because regulator_is_enabled() reports it active even though that path did not enable it. Reaching the faulty path requires root access to the USB role-switch sysfs attribute and Tegra XUSB hardware; published evidence demonstrates an unbalanced-disable warning, not data disclosure or privilege gain.

CVSS severity7.8
High
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

Resource-management error in affected Linux kernels allows local users to trigger warnings through a crafted USB role transition. tegra186_xusb_padctl_id_override() disables an always-on regulator on a device-to-none transition because regulator_is_enabled() reports it active even though that path did not enable it. Reaching the faulty path requires root access to the USB role-switch sysfs attribute and Tegra XUSB hardware; published evidence demonstrates an unbalanced-disable warning, not data disclosure or privilege gain.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38535
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-1341
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <1bb85b5c2bd43b687c3d54eb6328917f90dd38fc
  2. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <5367cdeb75cb6c687ca468450bceb2602ab239d8
  3. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <cdcb0ffd6448f6be898956913a42bd08e59fb2ae
  4. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <ceb645ac6ce052609ee5c8f819a80e8881789b04
  5. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <cefc1caee9dd06c69e2d807edc5949b329f52b22
  6. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <eaa420339658615d26c1cc95cd6cf720b9aebfca
  7. Affected versionversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <ec7f98ff05f0649af0adeb4808c7ba23d6111ef9
  8. Affected versionversion=5.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <1bb85b5c2bd43b687c3d54eb6328917f90dd38fc; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <5367cdeb75cb6c687ca468450bceb2602ab239d8; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <cdcb0ffd6448f6be898956913a42bd08e59fb2ae; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <ceb645ac6ce052609ee5c8f819a80e8881789b04; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <cefc1caee9dd06c69e2d807edc5949b329f52b22; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <eaa420339658615d26c1cc95cd6cf720b9aebfca; version=49d46e3c7e597e8b00c6fc16e6fd7a92044f4371 <ec7f98ff05f0649af0adeb4808c7ba23d6111ef9; version=5.7

Published CVSS scores

6.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
2.3Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.3Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1341Multiple Releases of Same Resource or Handle

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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