CVE-2025-71273

Kernel memory exhaustion via unfreed band data

Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026

Memory leak in the Linux kernel rtw88 Wi-Fi driver allows local users to cause availability loss via a hardware-registration error. rtw_set_supported_band() allocates supported-band data with kmemdup(), but the rtw_register_hw() error path does not free that allocation. Reachability requires the affected rtw88 driver and a hardware-registration failure; repeated failures retain kernel memory and can interrupt service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the Linux kernel rtw88 Wi-Fi driver allows local users to cause availability loss via a hardware-registration error. rtw_set_supported_band() allocates supported-band data with kmemdup(), but the rtw_register_hw() error path does not free that allocation. Reachability requires the affected rtw88 driver and a hardware-registration failure; repeated failures retain kernel memory and can interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71273
Published
May 6, 2026
Updated
May 6, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 6, 2026Record 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 <1bd90e0a99fdc8dc5deb3c92bf865e4496b4b311
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2ba12401cc1f2d970fa2e7d5b15abde3f5abd40d
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9b5418070ee8468fac9e8bf641c83d46b85bff30
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ad9b80ee310ed734482a2e5da874b67f88ac0ef8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <1bd90e0a99fdc8dc5deb3c92bf865e4496b4b311; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2ba12401cc1f2d970fa2e7d5b15abde3f5abd40d; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9b5418070ee8468fac9e8bf641c83d46b85bff30; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ad9b80ee310ed734482a2e5da874b67f88ac0ef8

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application 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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