CVE-2025-40116

Kernel crash via error-pointer cleanup dereference

Published Nov 12, 2025 · Updated Nov 12, 2025

Invalid-pointer dereference in Linux 3.16 through affected stable branches allows attackers to crash the kernel during MAX3421 probe failure. In max3421_probe(), kthread_run() can return an error pointer, but cleanup passes spi_thread to kthread_stop() after checking only for NULL. The path requires the MAX3421 host-controller driver to probe and thread creation or later initialization to fail; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash rather than code execution.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Invalid-pointer dereference in Linux 3.16 through affected stable branches allows attackers to crash the kernel during MAX3421 probe failure. In max3421_probe(), kthread_run() can return an error pointer, but cleanup passes spi_thread to kthread_stop() after checking only for NULL. The path requires the MAX3421 host-controller driver to probe and thread creation or later initialization to fail; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash rather than code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40116
Published
Nov 12, 2025
Updated
Nov 12, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 12, 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=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <186e8f2bdba551f3ae23396caccd452d985c23e3
  2. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <3723c3dda1cc82c9bbca08fcbd46705a361bfd56
  3. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <3facf69a735e730ae36387f18780fe420708aa91
  4. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <89838fe5c6c010ff8d3924f22afd9c18c5c95310
  5. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <b0439e3762ac9ea580f714e1504a1827d1ad32f5
  6. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <b682ce44bf20ada752a2f6ce70d5a575c56f6a35
  7. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <e0e0ce06f3571be9b26790e4df56ba37b1de8543
  8. Affected versionversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <e68ea6de1d0551f90d7a2c75f82cb3ebe5e397dc
  9. Affected versionversion=3.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

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

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <186e8f2bdba551f3ae23396caccd452d985c23e3; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <3723c3dda1cc82c9bbca08fcbd46705a361bfd56; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <3facf69a735e730ae36387f18780fe420708aa91; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <89838fe5c6c010ff8d3924f22afd9c18c5c95310; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <b0439e3762ac9ea580f714e1504a1827d1ad32f5; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <b682ce44bf20ada752a2f6ce70d5a575c56f6a35; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <e0e0ce06f3571be9b26790e4df56ba37b1de8543; version=05dfa5c9bc37933181b619e42ec0eeb41ef31362 <e68ea6de1d0551f90d7a2c75f82cb3ebe5e397dc; version=3.16

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

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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)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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