Kernel memory corruption via CAN XL length confusion
Published Oct 15, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Buffer overflow in the Linux mcba_usb CAN driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a crafted PF_PACKET CAN XL frame. mcba_usb_start_xmit misreads a CAN XL flags byte as a classic CAN length and copies up to 255 bytes into an eight-byte usb_msg.data buffer because the driver accepts an oversized interface MTU. Exploitation requires local CAP_NET_RAW access and an mcba_usb CAN interface; it can disclose kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the host.
Summary
What happened
Buffer overflow in the Linux mcba_usb CAN driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a crafted PF_PACKET CAN XL frame. mcba_usb_start_xmit misreads a CAN XL flags byte as a classic CAN length and copies up to 255 bytes into an eight-byte usb_msg.data buffer because the driver accepts an oversized interface MTU. Exploitation requires local CAP_NET_RAW access and an mcba_usb CAN interface; it can disclose kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-39985
- Published
- Oct 15, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.12
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <0fa9303c4b9493727e0d3a6ac3729300e3013930
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <17c8d794527f01def0d1c8b7dc2d7b8d34fed0e6
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <3664ae91b26d1fd7e4cee9cde17301361f4c89d5
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <37aed407496bf6de8910e588edb04d2435fa7011
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <6b9fb82df8868dbe9ffea5874b8d35f951faedbb
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <6eec67bfb25637f9b51e584cf59ddace59925bc8
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <b638c3fb0f163e69785ceddb3b434a9437878bec
- Affected versionversion=51f3baad7de943780ce0c17bd7975df567dd6e14 <ca4e51359608e1f29bf1f2c33c3ddf775b6b7ed1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo