CVE-2025-39837

Kernel memory corruption via racy driver registration

Published Sep 19, 2025 · Updated Sep 19, 2025

Race condition in Linux 6.16 through 6.16.5 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent ASUS WMI driver registration. The asus_wmi_register_driver() path performs unsynchronized list registration when multiple drivers call it concurrently, while its error path leaves ACPI low-power S0 operations registered. Triggering the race requires an ASUS machine and concurrent driver registrations; resulting list corruption can produce a kernel Oops and crash the system.

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

Race condition in Linux 6.16 through 6.16.5 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent ASUS WMI driver registration. The asus_wmi_register_driver() path performs unsynchronized list registration when multiple drivers call it concurrently, while its error path leaves ACPI low-power S0 operations registered. Triggering the race requires an ASUS machine and concurrent driver registrations; resulting list corruption can produce a kernel Oops and crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-39837
Published
Sep 19, 2025
Updated
Sep 19, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-787, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 19, 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=6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=feea7bd6b02d43a794e3f065650d89cf8d8e8e59 <5549202b9c02c2ecbc8634768a3da8d9e82d548d
  3. Affected versionversion=feea7bd6b02d43a794e3f065650d89cf8d8e8e59 <e7a70326fb26b905cfc8fe2366113aa4394733ef

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.16; version=feea7bd6b02d43a794e3f065650d89cf8d8e8e59 <5549202b9c02c2ecbc8634768a3da8d9e82d548d; version=feea7bd6b02d43a794e3f065650d89cf8d8e8e59 <e7a70326fb26b905cfc8fe2366113aa4394733ef

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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