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5.5
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2025-38668
regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data
Description

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.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 22, 2025, 4:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Jan. 8, 2026, 10:30 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2025-38668 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
1 Debian debian_linux
: Total Affected Vendor : 2 | Products : 2
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Fix NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel's regulator core by resetting coupling data.
  • Update the Linux kernel to the latest version.
  • Apply the specific patch for regulator: core.
  • Ensure coupling_desc.n_coupled is reset to 0.
  • Review regulator unbind and runtime PM logic.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2025-38668.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8 Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Third Party Advisory
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-38668 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-38668 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2025-38668 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2025-38668 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Jan. 08, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-476
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.16 up to (excluding) 6.1.148 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.2 up to (excluding) 6.6.101 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.7 up to (excluding) 6.12.41 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.11 up to (excluding) 5.15.190 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.5 up to (excluding) 5.10.241 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.13 up to (excluding) 6.15.9 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.3 up to (excluding) 5.4.297
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type CVE: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html Types: Third Party Advisory
    Added Reference Type CVE: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html Types: Third Party Advisory
  • CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108

    Nov. 03, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html
    Added Reference https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html
  • CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Aug. 28, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a
  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Aug. 22, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description 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.
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 5.5
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact