CVE-2025-68197

Kernel crash via unchecked firmware trace pointer

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux bnxt_en driver 6.13 through 6.17.7 allows local users to crash the kernel via older NIC firmware. bnxt_bs_trace_check_wrap() passes an uninitialized firmware trace type to bnxt_bs_trace_type_wrap() without verifying that its magic_byte pointer is valid. Reachability requires bnxt_en with older NIC firmware to emit the debug-buffer producer event; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
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 bnxt_en driver 6.13 through 6.17.7 allows local users to crash the kernel via older NIC firmware. bnxt_bs_trace_check_wrap() passes an uninitialized firmware trace type to bnxt_bs_trace_type_wrap() without verifying that its magic_byte pointer is valid. Reachability requires bnxt_en with older NIC firmware to emit the debug-buffer producer event; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68197
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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=6.13
  2. Affected versionversion=84fcd9449fd7882ddfb05ba64d75f9be2d29b2e9 <689ae5ba31293eebb7f21c0ef8939468ac72b5ce
  3. Affected versionversion=84fcd9449fd7882ddfb05ba64d75f9be2d29b2e9 <ff02be05f78399c766be68ab0b2285ff90b2aaa8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.13; version=84fcd9449fd7882ddfb05ba64d75f9be2d29b2e9 <689ae5ba31293eebb7f21c0ef8939468ac72b5ce; version=84fcd9449fd7882ddfb05ba64d75f9be2d29b2e9 <ff02be05f78399c766be68ab0b2285ff90b2aaa8

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.0OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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
Privilegesauthenticated
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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