CVE-2025-40211
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ACPI: video: Fix use-after-free in acpi_video_switch_brightness() The switch_brightness_work delayed work accesses device->brightness and device->backlight, freed by acpi_video_dev_unregister_backlight() during device removal. If the work executes after acpi_video_bus_unregister_backlight() frees these resources, it causes a use-after-free when acpi_video_switch_brightness() dereferences device->brightness or device->backlight. Fix this by calling cancel_delayed_work_sync() for each device's switch_brightness_work in acpi_video_bus_remove_notify_handler() after removing the notify handler that queues the work. This ensures the work completes before the memory is freed. [ rjw: Changelog edit ]
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.17
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.4.302,
5.10.247,
5.15.197,
6.1.159,
6.6.117,
6.12.58,
6.17.8,
6.18
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-40211 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/293125536ef5521328815fa7c76d5f9eb1635659
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f803ccf5a0c043e7c8b83f6665b082401fc8bee
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e85246ec0d019dfba86ba54d841ef6694f97149
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2025-40211?
CVE-2025-40211 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.17 onward and has been patched in 5.4.302, 5.10.247, 5.15.197 and others. CVE-2025-40211 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-40211?
Yes — CVE-2025-40211 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.4.302, 5.10.247, 5.15.197 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.17 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2025-40211 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2025-40211 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.