CVE-2025-39711

Kernel crash via stale IVSC client pointer

Published Sep 5, 2025 · Updated Sep 5, 2025

Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to crash the kernel during Intel IVSC driver shutdown. The ACE and CSI remove functions free their MEI client objects without first removing them from mei_device->file_list, so mei_cl_all_disconnect later dereferences stale pointers. Triggering requires root privileges through CAP_SYS_BOOT for shutdown or root access to unbind a driver through sysfs; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
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 affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to crash the kernel during Intel IVSC driver shutdown. The ACE and CSI remove functions free their MEI client objects without first removing them from mei_device->file_list, so mei_cl_all_disconnect later dereferences stale pointers. Triggering requires root privileges through CAP_SYS_BOOT for shutdown or root access to unbind a driver through sysfs; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-39711
Published
Sep 5, 2025
Updated
Sep 5, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

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=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <0c92c49fc688cfadacc47ae99b06a31237702e9e
  2. Affected versionversion=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <1dfe73394dcfc9b049c8da0dc181c45f156a5f49
  3. Affected versionversion=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <3c0e4cc4f55f9a1db2a761e4ffb27c9594245888
  4. Affected versionversion=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <639f5b33fcd7c59157f29b09f6f2866eacf9279c
  5. Affected versionversion=6.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <0c92c49fc688cfadacc47ae99b06a31237702e9e; version=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <1dfe73394dcfc9b049c8da0dc181c45f156a5f49; version=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <3c0e4cc4f55f9a1db2a761e4ffb27c9594245888; version=29006e196a5661d9afc8152fa2bf8a5347ac17b4 <639f5b33fcd7c59157f29b09f6f2866eacf9279c; version=6.6

Published CVSS scores

7.8NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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