CVE-2025-38557

System crash via undersized HID feature report

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.11 HID Apple driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash systems via a malicious HID device. apple_magic_backlight_report_set accesses and dereferences field[1] without verifying that the power feature report contains the expected two fields. Exploitation requires a crafted device handled with APPLE_MAGIC_BACKLIGHT; the resulting dereference stops the kernel.

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

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.11 HID Apple driver allows physically proximate attackers to crash systems via a malicious HID device. apple_magic_backlight_report_set accesses and dereferences field[1] without verifying that the power feature report contains the expected two fields. Exploitation requires a crafted device handled with APPLE_MAGIC_BACKLIGHT; the resulting dereference stops the kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38557
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1200
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 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=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <00896c3f41cb6b74fec853386076115ba50baf0a
  2. Affected versionversion=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <1bb3363da862e0464ec050eea2fb5472a36ad86b
  3. Affected versionversion=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <7e15d1eaa88179c5185e57a38ab05fe852d0cb8d
  4. Affected versionversion=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <ba08cc6801ec5fb98f2d02b5f0c614c931845325
  5. Affected versionversion=6.11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <00896c3f41cb6b74fec853386076115ba50baf0a; version=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <1bb3363da862e0464ec050eea2fb5472a36ad86b; version=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <7e15d1eaa88179c5185e57a38ab05fe852d0cb8d; version=394ba612f9419ec5bfebbffb72212fd3b2094986 <ba08cc6801ec5fb98f2d02b5f0c614c931845325; version=6.11

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1200Hardware Additions

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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