CVE-2025-68177

Kernel panic via unchecked CPU policy pointer

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic affected systems through the longhaul CPU-frequency driver. The longhaul_exit() teardown path calls cpufreq_cpu_get(0) and dereferences the returned policy without first checking whether it is NULL. Exploitation requires local high privileges and a system using the legacy longhaul driver; the bounded consequence is a kernel warning or panic.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
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

NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic affected systems through the longhaul CPU-frequency driver. The longhaul_exit() teardown path calls cpufreq_cpu_get(0) and dereferences the returned policy without first checking whether it is NULL. Exploitation requires local high privileges and a system using the legacy longhaul driver; the bounded consequence is a kernel warning or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68177
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 16, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <55cf586b9556863e3c2a45460aba71bcb2be5bcd
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <592532a77b736b5153e0c2e4c74aa50af0a352ab
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <64adabb6d9d51b7e7c02fe733346a2c4dd738488
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <809cf2a7794ca4c14c304b349f4c3ae220701ce4
  5. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8d6791c480f22d6e9a566eaa77336d3d37c5c591
  6. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <956b56d17a89775e4957bbddefa45cd3c6c71000
  7. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b02352dd2e6cca98777714cc2a27553191df70db
  8. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fd93e1d71b3b14443092919be12b1abf08de35eb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <55cf586b9556863e3c2a45460aba71bcb2be5bcd; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <592532a77b736b5153e0c2e4c74aa50af0a352ab; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <64adabb6d9d51b7e7c02fe733346a2c4dd738488; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <809cf2a7794ca4c14c304b349f4c3ae220701ce4; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8d6791c480f22d6e9a566eaa77336d3d37c5c591; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <956b56d17a89775e4957bbddefa45cd3c6c71000; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b02352dd2e6cca98777714cc2a27553191df70db; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fd93e1d71b3b14443092919be12b1abf08de35eb

Published CVSS scores

4.4Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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