CVE-2025-38736

Kernel crash via unmasked PHY address

Published Sep 5, 2025 · Updated Sep 5, 2025

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux kernel ASIX USB network driver allows local users to crash the kernel during MDIO bus initialization. The ASIX MDIO bus initialization code uses a PHY identifier in its address bitmap without first restricting it to the valid five-bit range of 0 through 31. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and initialization of the affected ASIX driver; an out-of-range identifier causes a shift-out-of-bounds condition that interrupts the host.

CVSS severity7.1
High
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

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux kernel ASIX USB network driver allows local users to crash the kernel during MDIO bus initialization. The ASIX MDIO bus initialization code uses a PHY identifier in its address bitmap without first restricting it to the valid five-bit range of 0 through 31. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and initialization of the affected ASIX driver; an out-of-range identifier causes a shift-out-of-bounds condition that interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38736
Published
Sep 5, 2025
Updated
Sep 5, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-125, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 5, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 5, 2025Record 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=4faff70959d51078f9ee8372f8cff0d7045e4114 <24ef2f53c07f273bad99173e27ee88d44d135b1c
  2. Affected versionversion=59ed6fbdb1bc03316e09493ffde7066f031c7524 <8f141f2a4f2ef8ca865d5921574c3d6535e00a49
  3. Affected versionversion=6.17-rc2
  4. Affected versionversion=75947d3200de98a9ded9ad8972e02f1a177097fe <fcb4ce9f729c1d08e53abf9d449340e24c3edee6
  5. Affected versionversion=a754ab53993b1585132e871c5d811167ad3c52ff
  6. Affected versionversion=ad1f8313aeec0115f9978bd2d002ef4a8d96c773 <523eab02fce458fa6d3c51de5bb055800986953e
  7. Affected versionversion=ccef5ee4adf56472aa26bdd1f821a6d0cd06089a <748da80831221ae24b4bc8d7ffb22acd5712a341
  8. Affected versionversion=ee2cd40b0bb46056949a2319084a729d95389386 <22042ffedd8c2c6db08ccdd6d4273068eddd3c5c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4faff70959d51078f9ee8372f8cff0d7045e4114 <24ef2f53c07f273bad99173e27ee88d44d135b1c; version=59ed6fbdb1bc03316e09493ffde7066f031c7524 <8f141f2a4f2ef8ca865d5921574c3d6535e00a49; version=6.17-rc2; version=75947d3200de98a9ded9ad8972e02f1a177097fe <fcb4ce9f729c1d08e53abf9d449340e24c3edee6; version=a754ab53993b1585132e871c5d811167ad3c52ff; version=ad1f8313aeec0115f9978bd2d002ef4a8d96c773 <523eab02fce458fa6d3c51de5bb055800986953e; version=ccef5ee4adf56472aa26bdd1f821a6d0cd06089a <748da80831221ae24b4bc8d7ffb22acd5712a341; version=ee2cd40b0bb46056949a2319084a729d95389386 <22042ffedd8c2c6db08ccdd6d4273068eddd3c5c

Published CVSS scores

5.5OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 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-125Out-of-bounds Read
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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