CVE-2025-38647

Kernel warning via premature wiphy lock assertion

Published Aug 22, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper lock assertion in Linux 6.16 allows local users to trigger a warning when the Realtek rtw89 driver starts. rtw89_set_sar_from_acpi invokes lockdep_assert_wiphy during early SAR initialization even though the wiphy lock is not held or needed at that stage. The path requires affected Realtek hardware and ACPI SAR initialization; the published trace reports a warning, with no crash or hang documented.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper lock assertion in Linux 6.16 allows local users to trigger a warning when the Realtek rtw89 driver starts. rtw89_set_sar_from_acpi invokes lockdep_assert_wiphy during early SAR initialization even though the wiphy lock is not held or needed at that stage. The path requires affected Realtek hardware and ACPI SAR initialization; the published trace reports a warning, with no crash or hang documented.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38647
Published
Aug 22, 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 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=6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=88ca3107d2ce06448018e0571f7c0f1b40f57b55 <6fe21445f7e801de5527d420f8e25e97b0cdd7e2
  3. Affected versionversion=88ca3107d2ce06448018e0571f7c0f1b40f57b55 <f7ac6df92eee030151476078069dc3eb0002dfb0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.16; version=88ca3107d2ce06448018e0571f7c0f1b40f57b55 <6fe21445f7e801de5527d420f8e25e97b0cdd7e2; version=88ca3107d2ce06448018e0571f7c0f1b40f57b55 <f7ac6df92eee030151476078069dc3eb0002dfb0

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS: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 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

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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