CVE-2025-68187

Kernel crash via unchecked error pointer dereference

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.17 Airoha MDIO driver allows attackers to crash the kernel after regmap initialization fails. The airoha_mdio_probe function stores an ERR_PTR returned by device_node_to_regmap without validation, and later MDIO operations pass it to regmap accessors. The path requires Airoha AN7583 MDIO hardware, a matching device-tree node, and failed parent-regmap initialization; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.18%
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 6.17 Airoha MDIO driver allows attackers to crash the kernel after regmap initialization fails. The airoha_mdio_probe function stores an ERR_PTR returned by device_node_to_regmap without validation, and later MDIO operations pass it to regmap accessors. The path requires Airoha AN7583 MDIO hardware, a matching device-tree node, and failed parent-regmap initialization; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68187
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

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=6.17
  2. Affected versionversion=67e3ba978361cb262f8f8981ab88ccb97f1e2bda <b2b526c2cf57d14ee269e012ed179081871f45a1
  3. Affected versionversion=67e3ba978361cb262f8f8981ab88ccb97f1e2bda <dc8ed3823473bb38ba43cfb34f1e1c1baa22f975

What conditions does exploitation require?

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

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.17; version=67e3ba978361cb262f8f8981ab88ccb97f1e2bda <b2b526c2cf57d14ee269e012ed179081871f45a1; version=67e3ba978361cb262f8f8981ab88ccb97f1e2bda <dc8ed3823473bb38ba43cfb34f1e1c1baa22f975

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.

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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

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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