CVE-2025-38604

Kernel crash via rtl8187 transmit callback race

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux rtl8187 Wi-Fi driver allows local users to crash the kernel while stopping an RTL8187BvE device. rtl8187_stop() clears b_tx_status.queue before killing anchored USB requests, so rtl8187_tx_cb() can pass an already freed socket buffer to mac80211. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an attached RTL8187BvE adapter; the demonstrated result is a kernel NULL-pointer dereference and system crash.

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

Use-after-free in the Linux rtl8187 Wi-Fi driver allows local users to crash the kernel while stopping an RTL8187BvE device. rtl8187_stop() clears b_tx_status.queue before killing anchored USB requests, so rtl8187_tx_cb() can pass an already freed socket buffer to mac80211. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an attached RTL8187BvE adapter; the demonstrated result is a kernel NULL-pointer dereference and system crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38604
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.29
  2. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <14ca6952691fa8cc91e7644512e6ff24a595283f
  3. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <16d8fd74dbfca0ea58645cd2fca13be10cae3cdd
  4. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <7858a95566f4ebf59524666683d2dcdba3fca968
  5. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <789415771422f4fb9f444044f86ecfaec55df1bd
  6. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <81cfe34d0630de4e23ae804dcc08fb6f861dc37d
  7. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <8c767727f331fb9455b0f81daad832b5925688cb
  8. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <c51a45ad9070a6d296174fcbe5c466352836c12b
  9. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <c73c773b09e313278f9b960303a2809b8440bac6
  10. Affected versionversion=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <e64732ebff9e24258e7326f07adbe2f2b990daf8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.29; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <14ca6952691fa8cc91e7644512e6ff24a595283f; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <16d8fd74dbfca0ea58645cd2fca13be10cae3cdd; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <7858a95566f4ebf59524666683d2dcdba3fca968; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <789415771422f4fb9f444044f86ecfaec55df1bd; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <81cfe34d0630de4e23ae804dcc08fb6f861dc37d; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <8c767727f331fb9455b0f81daad832b5925688cb; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <c51a45ad9070a6d296174fcbe5c466352836c12b; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <c73c773b09e313278f9b960303a2809b8440bac6; version=c1db52b9d27ee6e15a7136e67e4a21dc916cd07f <e64732ebff9e24258e7326f07adbe2f2b990daf8

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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