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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-38668: regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data

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: 0.17% (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 233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca, 5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7, 6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.200.1-1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca, 5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7, 6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a; azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.104.2-1; cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.200.1-1 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: regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data Failing to reset coupling_desc.n_coupled after freeing coupled_rdevs can lead to NULL pointer dereference when regulators are accessed post-unbind. This can happen during runtime PM or other regulator operations that rely on coupling metadata. For example, on ridesx4, unbinding the 'reg-dummy' platform device triggers a panic in regulator_lock_recursive() due to stale coupling state. Ensure n_coupled is set to 0 to prevent access to invalid pointers.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 22, 2025
Updated
Nov 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 6th percentile

Report tools

JSON

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.

Follow CVE-2025-38668

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • 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
debiandebian 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 kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.241
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.190
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.148
  • linux linux kernel5.3 and later · before 5.4.297
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.41
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.15.9
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.101
  • 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

    • 5.3affected
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before 7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49affected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before 6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4aaffected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576aaffected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before 800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019affected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before 233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748caaffected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before 5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7affected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8affected · git
    • d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 and later · before ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260eaffected · git
    • before 5.3not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.148-16.1.148-1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.41-16.12.41-1
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-2025-38664Aug 22, 2025 · ice: Fix a null pointer dereference in ice_copy_and_init_pkg()
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-38665Aug 22, 2025 · can: netlink: can_changelink(): fix NULL pointer deref of struct can_priv::do_set_mode
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-38669Aug 22, 2025 · Revert "drm/gem-shmem: Use dma_buf from GEM object instance"
    22Monitor

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 Linux233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748caVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4aVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260eVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576aVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxd7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.96.2-2 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.104.2-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
cbl2 kernel 5.15.186.1-1 on CBL Mariner 2.05.15.200.1-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:linux6.1.148-1 · Debian:12Package 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.
  • 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 Dereference

CVSS 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

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

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

References

Show all references (9 more)

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

All records