CVE-2025-38634

Local kernel crash via unchecked NULL return

Published Aug 22, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the cpcap-charger driver in affected Linux releases allows local users to crash the kernel during USB detection. The cpcap_usb_detect() path treats a NULL result from power_supply_get_by_name() as a valid power-supply object and later dereferences it. Triggering requires local low-privileged access and the CPCAP charger driver path; the bounded reported effect is a kernel crash without data disclosure or modification.

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 cpcap-charger driver in affected Linux releases allows local users to crash the kernel during USB detection. The cpcap_usb_detect() path treats a NULL result from power_supply_get_by_name() as a valid power-supply object and later dereferences it. Triggering requires local low-privileged access and the CPCAP charger driver path; the bounded reported effect is a kernel crash without data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38634
Published
Aug 22, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 22, 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=5.14
  2. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <27001e4f146624c4b3389b029bdc0f8049819560
  3. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <4ebbb9106aaa2fd58e0359bc3a2490953db2ef0c
  4. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <8e9bdb563916287ba1b4258812434e0585ac6d00
  5. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <9784d832d7c103539cd9afb376534eaa35815d3d
  6. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <a2436263144980cc99a9860c7b43335847afbe53
  7. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <d9fa3aae08f99493e67fb79413c0e95d30fca5e9
  8. Affected versionversion=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <f642500aa7ed93d2606e4f929244cce9c7467b3a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.14; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <27001e4f146624c4b3389b029bdc0f8049819560; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <4ebbb9106aaa2fd58e0359bc3a2490953db2ef0c; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <8e9bdb563916287ba1b4258812434e0585ac6d00; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <9784d832d7c103539cd9afb376534eaa35815d3d; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <a2436263144980cc99a9860c7b43335847afbe53; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <d9fa3aae08f99493e67fb79413c0e95d30fca5e9; version=eab4e6d953c1059a30ac0f15826abc7dd2374d3c <f642500aa7ed93d2606e4f929244cce9c7467b3a

Published CVSS scores

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

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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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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