CVE-2025-40066

Kernel crash via unchecked mt7996 PHY pointer

Published Oct 28, 2025 · Updated Oct 28, 2025

NULL-pointer dereference in the mt7996 Wi-Fi driver in Linux 6.15 through 6.17.2 allows attackers to crash the kernel via unspecified vectors. mt7996_mac_sta_add_links() calls mt7996_mac_sta_init_link() before confirming that the selected PHY pointer is non-NULL. Reachability requires the MediaTek MT7996 wireless driver and a station-link addition path; public records do not identify attacker-controlled input.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL-pointer dereference in the mt7996 Wi-Fi driver in Linux 6.15 through 6.17.2 allows attackers to crash the kernel via unspecified vectors. mt7996_mac_sta_add_links() calls mt7996_mac_sta_init_link() before confirming that the selected PHY pointer is non-NULL. Reachability requires the MediaTek MT7996 wireless driver and a station-link addition path; public records do not identify attacker-controlled input.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40066
Published
Oct 28, 2025
Updated
Oct 28, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 28, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 28, 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=6.15
  2. Affected versionversion=dd82a9e02c054052b5899872c1f32805428f6131 <2e671536c1c3c7bcad95d408a4ab42e2e54d1882
  3. Affected versionversion=dd82a9e02c054052b5899872c1f32805428f6131 <fe5fffadc6c77c56f122cf1042dc830f59e904bf

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.15; version=dd82a9e02c054052b5899872c1f32805428f6131 <2e671536c1c3c7bcad95d408a4ab42e2e54d1882; version=dd82a9e02c054052b5899872c1f32805428f6131 <fe5fffadc6c77c56f122cf1042dc830f59e904bf

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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