CVE-2025-39853

Memory disclosure or crash via empty-list dereference

Published Sep 19, 2025 · Updated Sep 19, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in the Linux i40e client code allows local users to disclose kernel memory or interrupt service through an empty MAC list. The i40e_client.c path calls list_first_entry() on the MAC-filter list and dereferences the invalid container pointer returned when that list is empty. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an active i40e driver path that reaches an empty MAC-filter list; the documented impacts are memory disclosure and a kernel crash.

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 read in the Linux i40e client code allows local users to disclose kernel memory or interrupt service through an empty MAC list. The i40e_client.c path calls list_first_entry() on the MAC-filter list and dereferences the invalid container pointer returned when that list is empty. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an active i40e driver path that reaches an empty MAC-filter list; the documented impacts are memory disclosure and a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-39853
Published
Sep 19, 2025
Updated
Sep 19, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-125
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=4.6
  2. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <1eadabcf5623f1237a539b16586b4ed8ac8dffcd
  3. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <3c6fb929afa313d9d11f780451d113f73922fe5d
  4. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <66e7cdbda74ee823ec2bf7b830ebd235c54f5ddf
  5. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <971feafe157afac443027acdc235badc6838560b
  6. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <9c21fc4cebd44dd21016c61261a683af390343f8
  7. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <a556f06338e1d5a85af0e32ecb46e365547f92b9
  8. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <e2a5e74879f9b494bbd66fa93f355feacde450c7
  9. Affected versionversion=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <fb216d980fae6561c7c70af8ef826faf059c6515

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.6; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <1eadabcf5623f1237a539b16586b4ed8ac8dffcd; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <3c6fb929afa313d9d11f780451d113f73922fe5d; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <66e7cdbda74ee823ec2bf7b830ebd235c54f5ddf; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <971feafe157afac443027acdc235badc6838560b; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <9c21fc4cebd44dd21016c61261a683af390343f8; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <a556f06338e1d5a85af0e32ecb46e365547f92b9; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <e2a5e74879f9b494bbd66fa93f355feacde450c7; version=e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <fb216d980fae6561c7c70af8ef826faf059c6515

Published CVSS scores

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

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 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

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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