CVE-2025-40197Public exploit

Kernel crash via media devnode use-after-free

Published Nov 12, 2025 · Updated May 23, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux media controller allows local users to crash affected kernels by disconnecting a USB media device. media_devnode_unregister calls put_device, which can free the devnode, before clear_bit dereferences the freed devnode's minor number. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and media-device teardown; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel KASAN crash.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux media controller allows local users to crash affected kernels by disconnecting a USB media device. media_devnode_unregister calls put_device, which can free the devnode, before clear_bit dereferences the freed devnode's minor number. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and media-device teardown; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel KASAN crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40197
Published
Nov 12, 2025
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <5.10.246
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <5.15.195
  3. Affected versionversion=0 <5.4.301
  4. Affected versionversion=0 <6.1.157
  5. Affected versionversion=0 <6.12.54
  6. Affected versionversion=0 <6.17.4
  7. Affected versionversion=0 <6.6.113
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5d327391f9fafeb0938be4fc538dd0bd54a0b2ef
  9. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <64dbc6f50ce92b7da203b1bcdd96a370bbc9b74d
  10. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7bd4e5367d0940ccec4d7546bb6bd019ab2c71aa
  11. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7db47e737128b3585ae679b709b85f3f44cd8750
  12. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8cfc8cec1b4da88a47c243a11f384baefd092a50
  13. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8f52c7f38f0f2ee2afc331e6b873acba5e9490a8
  14. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ac01416d477c2dc6016782635ae022f8cc634a29
  15. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dd156f44ea82cc249f46c519eed3b2f8983c8002

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=0 <5.10.246; version=0 <5.15.195; version=0 <5.4.301; version=0 <6.1.157; version=0 <6.12.54; version=0 <6.17.4; version=0 <6.6.113; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <5d327391f9fafeb0938be4fc538dd0bd54a0b2ef; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <64dbc6f50ce92b7da203b1bcdd96a370bbc9b74d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7bd4e5367d0940ccec4d7546bb6bd019ab2c71aa; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <7db47e737128b3585ae679b709b85f3f44cd8750; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8cfc8cec1b4da88a47c243a11f384baefd092a50; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8f52c7f38f0f2ee2afc331e6b873acba5e9490a8; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ac01416d477c2dc6016782635ae022f8cc634a29; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dd156f44ea82cc249f46c519eed3b2f8983c8002

Published CVSS scores

4.7OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

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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