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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38632: pinmux: fix race causing mux_owner NULL with active mux_usecount

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.12% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 0b075c011032f88d1cfde3b45d6dcf08b44140eb, 22b585cbd67d14df3b91529d1b990661c300faa9, 6.12.42.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 0b075c011032f88d1cfde3b45d6dcf08b44140eb, 22b585cbd67d14df3b91529d1b990661c300faa9, 6.12.42 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pinmux: fix race causing mux_owner NULL with active mux_usecount commit 5a3e85c3c397 ("pinmux: Use sequential access to access desc->pinmux data") tried to address the issue when two client of the same gpio calls pinctrl_select_state() for the same functionality, was resulting in NULL pointer issue while accessing desc->mux_owner. However, issue was not completely fixed due to the way it was handled and it can still result in the same NULL pointer. The issue occurs due to the following interleaving: cpu0 (process A) cpu1 (process B) pin_request() { pin_free() { mutex_lock() desc->mux_usecount--; //becomes 0 .. mutex_unlock() mutex_lock(desc->mux) desc->mux_usecount++; // becomes 1 desc->mux_owner = owner; mutex_unlock(desc->mux) mutex_lock(desc->mux) desc->mux_owner = NULL; mutex_unlock(desc->mux) This sequence leads to a state where the pin appears to be in use (`mux_usecount == 1`) but has no owner (`mux_owner == NULL`), which can cause NULL pointer on next pin_request on the same pin. Ensure that updates to mux_usecount and mux_owner are performed atomically under the same lock. Only clear mux_owner when mux_usecount reaches zero and no new owner has been assigned.

MediumCVSS 4.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 22, 2025
Updated
Nov 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 1th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

18

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
18 / 40 · 4.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2025-38632

When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel6.6.66 and later · before 6.6.102
  • linux linux kernel6.12.5 and later · before 6.12.42
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.10
  • linux linux kernel6.16 and later · before 6.16.1

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 6.13affected
    • d25e45dcf8e32062f7935e4ba154869043812ab6 and later · before 8434dec94e73cad527341d6280895191d949a702affected · git
    • 2da32aed4a97ca1d70fb8b77926f72f30ce5fb4b and later · before 9b2a3e7189028aa7c4d53a84364f2ea9fb209787affected · git
    • c11e2ec9a780f54982a187ee10ffd1b810715c85 and later · before 9ea3f6b9a67be3476e331ce51cac316c2614a564affected · git
    • 5a3e85c3c397c781393ea5fb2f45b1f60f8a4e6e and later · before b7bd6e3971eb7f0e34d2fdce1b18b08094e0c804affected · git
    • 5a3e85c3c397c781393ea5fb2f45b1f60f8a4e6e and later · before 22b585cbd67d14df3b91529d1b990661c300faa9affected · git
    • 5a3e85c3c397c781393ea5fb2f45b1f60f8a4e6e and later · before 0b075c011032f88d1cfde3b45d6dcf08b44140ebaffected · git
    • 6.6.66 and later · before 6.6.102affected · semver
    • 6.12.5 and later · before 6.12.42affected · semver
    • before 6.13not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.43-16.12.43-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 6.16.3-16.16.3-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38624Aug 22, 2025 · PCI: pnv_php: Clean up allocated IRQs on unplug
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38629Aug 22, 2025 · ALSA: usb: scarlett2: Fix missing NULL check
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38636Aug 22, 2025 · rv: Use strings in da monitors tracepoints
    28Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux0b075c011032f88d1cfde3b45d6dcf08b44140ebVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux22b585cbd67d14df3b91529d1b990661c300faa9Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.12.42Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.6.102Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux8434dec94e73cad527341d6280895191d949a702Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9b2a3e7189028aa7c4d53a84364f2ea9fb209787Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9ea3f6b9a67be3476e331ce51cac316c2614a564Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb7bd6e3971eb7f0e34d2fdce1b18b08094e0c804Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.12.43-1 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-362 · Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. SSVC exploitation— → none
  2. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (5 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records