CVE-2025-38665: can: netlink: can_changelink(): fix NULL pointer deref of struct can_priv::do_set_mode
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- 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: 0.15% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5, 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae, 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0 Release Notes.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5, 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae, 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0 Release Notes 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: can: netlink: can_changelink(): fix NULL pointer deref of struct can_priv::do_set_mode Andrei Lalaev reported a NULL pointer deref when a CAN device is restarted from Bus Off and the driver does not implement the struct can_priv::do_set_mode callback. There are 2 code path that call struct can_priv::do_set_mode: - directly by a manual restart from the user space, via can_changelink() - delayed automatic restart after bus off (deactivated by default) To prevent the NULL pointer deference, refuse a manual restart or configure the automatic restart delay in can_changelink() and report the error via extack to user space. As an additional safety measure let can_restart() return an error if can_priv::do_set_mode is not set instead of dereferencing it unchecked.
- Published
- Aug 22, 2025
- Updated
- Nov 5, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 4th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-476
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 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.
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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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- debian debian linux11.0
- linux linux kernel2.6.31 and later · before 6.1.148
- linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.101
- linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.41
- linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.9
- linux linux kernel6.16
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
- 2.6.31affected
- 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17 and later · before 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599affected · git
- 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17 and later · before cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894affected · git
- 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17 and later · before 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5affected · git
- 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17 and later · before 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822aeaffected · git
- 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17 and later · before c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52affected · git
- before 2.6.31not affected · semver
- 6.1.148 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
- 6.6.101 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
- 6.12.41 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.148-1 | 6.1.148-1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.41-1 | 6.12.41-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 6.16.3-1 | 6.16.3-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV90Now
- 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 KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-38660Aug 22, 2025 · [ceph] parse_longname(): strrchr() expects NUL-terminated string22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-38664Aug 22, 2025 · ice: Fix a null pointer dereference in ice_copy_and_init_pkg()22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2025-38668Aug 22, 2025 · regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894 | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 6.6.104.2-1 · CBL-Mariner Releases | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| cbl2 kernel 5.15.202.1-1 on CBL-Mariner 2.0 | Release Notes | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.148-1 · Debian:12 | Package 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 researchersFinders, 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.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-476 · NULL Pointer DereferenceCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- SSVC exploitation— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.