Kernel crash via stale USB ECM request
Published Oct 30, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel USB ECM gadget code allows local users to crash the kernel during repeated bind operations. After an ECM function is unbound, f_ecm leaves ecm->notify_req stale; if a later bind fails, the shared error path passes that request to ep->ops->free_request through a null endpoint. The path requires local control of USB gadget configuration and an initial bind/unbind cycle followed by a failing bind; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel USB ECM gadget code allows local users to crash the kernel during repeated bind operations. After an ECM function is unbound, f_ecm leaves ecm->notify_req stale; if a later bind fails, the shared error path passes that request to ep->ops->free_request through a null endpoint. The path requires local control of USB gadget configuration and an initial bind/unbind cycle followed by a failing bind; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-40093
- Published
- Oct 30, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 30, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.6.27
- Affected versionversion=da741b8c56d612b5dd26ffa31341911a5fea23ee <070f341d86cf2c098d63e484a86c7c1d2696a868
- Affected versionversion=da741b8c56d612b5dd26ffa31341911a5fea23ee <15b9faf53ba8719700596e7ef78879ce200e8c2e
- Affected versionversion=da741b8c56d612b5dd26ffa31341911a5fea23ee <42988380ac67c76bb9dff8f77d7ef3eefd50b7b5
- Affected versionversion=da741b8c56d612b5dd26ffa31341911a5fea23ee <4630c68bade82f087eaaab22e9a361da2f18d139
- Affected versionversion=da741b8c56d612b5dd26ffa31341911a5fea23ee <d3745aaef19198d0c81637a7dd50ef53c4f879b7
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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