Kernel crash via swapped HDMI codec callbacks
Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025
A NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.17 through 6.17.8 crashes the kernel while probing nvhdmi-mcp HDMI hardware. In sound/hda/codecs/hdmi/nvhdmi-mcp.c, swapped build_controls and build_pcms callbacks invoke build_controls before the PCM instance is initialized. The failure occurs when the affected driver probes compatible nvhdmi-mcp HDMI hardware; no attacker-controlled input path is publicly documented.
Summary
What happened
A NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 6.17 through 6.17.8 crashes the kernel while probing nvhdmi-mcp HDMI hardware. In sound/hda/codecs/hdmi/nvhdmi-mcp.c, swapped build_controls and build_pcms callbacks invoke build_controls before the PCM instance is initialized. The failure occurs when the affected driver probes compatible nvhdmi-mcp HDMI hardware; no attacker-controlled input path is publicly documented.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-68205
- Published
- Dec 16, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 16, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 16, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.17
- Affected versionversion=ad781b550f9a8829e3dae4bd3d18c4a126a53d04 <82420bd4e17bdaba8453fbf9e10c58c9ed0c9727
- Affected versionversion=ad781b550f9a8829e3dae4bd3d18c4a126a53d04 <d2aed6fac1148528181affb781aa683d6569042b
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo