CVE-2025-38558

Kernel crash via NULL descriptor release

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.13 allows local users to crash the system through an incomplete USB UVC configfs setup. In uvcg_framebased_make, a missing frame-based color-matching descriptor leaves color_matching NULL, yet the error path passes it to config_item_put. Triggering the fault requires local configfs access to create and link a UVC frame-based format without explicitly defining that descriptor.

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 Linux kernel 6.13 allows local users to crash the system through an incomplete USB UVC configfs setup. In uvcg_framebased_make, a missing frame-based color-matching descriptor leaves color_matching NULL, yet the error path passes it to config_item_put. Triggering the fault requires local configfs access to create and link a UVC frame-based format without explicitly defining that descriptor.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38558
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=6.13
  2. Affected versionversion=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <323a80a1a5ace319a722909c006d5bdb2a35d273
  3. Affected versionversion=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <6db61c1aa23075eeee90e083ca3f6567a5635da6
  4. Affected versionversion=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <7f8576fc9d1a203d12474bf52710c7af68cae490

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.13; version=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <323a80a1a5ace319a722909c006d5bdb2a35d273; version=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <6db61c1aa23075eeee90e083ca3f6567a5635da6; version=7b5a58952fc3b51905c2963647485565df1e5e26 <7f8576fc9d1a203d12474bf52710c7af68cae490

Published CVSS scores

5.5CanonicalCVSS: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 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.

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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