CVE-2025-38266

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pinctrl: mediatek: eint: Fix invalid pointer dereference for v1 platforms Commit 3ef9f710efcb ("pinctrl: mediatek: Add EINT support for multiple addresses") introduced an access to the 'soc' field of struct mtk_pinctrl in mtk_eint_do_init() and for that an include of pinctrl-mtk-common-v2.h. However, pinctrl drivers relying on the v1 common driver include pinctrl-mtk-common.h instead, which provides another definition of struct mtk_pinctrl that does not contain an 'soc' field. Since mtk_eint_do_init() can be called both by v1 and v2 drivers, it will now try to dereference an invalid pointer when called on v1 platforms. This has been observed on Genio 350 EVK (MT8365), which crashes very early in boot (the kernel trace can only be seen with earlycon). In order to fix this, since 'struct mtk_pinctrl' was only needed to get a 'struct mtk_eint_pin', make 'struct mtk_eint_pin' a parameter of mtk_eint_do_init() so that callers need to supply it, removing mtk_eint_do_init()'s dependency on any particular 'struct mtk_pinctrl'.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-07-10
Last modified 2025-11-18
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2025-38266 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 6.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.15.2, 6.16 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.15
Fixed in
✓ 6.15.2 6.15.x ✓ 6.16

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-38266 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-38266?

    CVE-2025-38266 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 6.15 onward and has been patched in 6.15.2 and 6.16. CVE-2025-38266 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-38266?

    CVE-2025-38266 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-2025-38266?

    Yes — CVE-2025-38266 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.15.2 and 6.16. If you are running Linux kernel 6.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-38266 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-38266 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • 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 →

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