CVE-2025-22031
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PCI/bwctrl: Fix NULL pointer dereference on bus number exhaustion When BIOS neglects to assign bus numbers to PCI bridges, the kernel attempts to correct that during PCI device enumeration. If it runs out of bus numbers, no pci_bus is allocated and the "subordinate" pointer in the bridge's pci_dev remains NULL. The PCIe bandwidth controller erroneously does not check for a NULL subordinate pointer and dereferences it on probe. Bandwidth control of unusable devices below the bridge is of questionable utility, so simply error out instead. This mirrors what PCIe hotplug does since commit 62e4492c3063 ("PCI: Prevent NULL dereference during pciehp probe"). The PCI core emits a message with KERN_INFO severity if it has run out of bus numbers. PCIe hotplug emits an additional message with KERN_ERR severity to inform the user that hotplug functionality is disabled at the bridge. A similar message for bandwidth control does not seem merited, given that its only purpose so far is to expose an up-to-date link speed in sysfs and throttle the link speed on certain laptops with limited Thermal Design Power. So error out silently. User-visible messages: pci 0000:16:02.0: bridge configuration invalid ([bus 00-00]), reconfiguring [...] pci_bus 0000:45: busn_res: [bus 45-74] end is updated to 74 pci 0000:16:02.0: devices behind bridge are unusable because [bus 45-74] cannot be assigned for them [...] pcieport 0000:16:02.0: pciehp: Hotplug bridge without secondary bus, ignoring [...] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference RIP: pcie_update_link_speed pcie_bwnotif_enable pcie_bwnotif_probe pcie_port_probe_service really_probe
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-476CVE-2025-22031 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability
What is NULL Pointer Dereference?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.13
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.13.11,
6.14.2,
6.15
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-22031 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1181924af78e5299ddec6e457789c02dd5966559
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/667f053b05f00a007738cd7ed6fa1901de19dc7e
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d93d309013e89631630a12b1770d27e4be78362a
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-22031?
CVE-2025-22031 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.13 onward and has been patched in 6.13.11, 6.14.2 and 6.15. CVE-2025-22031 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-22031?
CVE-2025-22031 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-22031?
Yes — CVE-2025-22031 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.13.11, 6.14.2 and 6.15. If you are running Linux kernel 6.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2025-22031 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-22031 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →