CVE-2025-38604: debian linux Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtl818x: Kill URBs before clearing tx status queue In rtl8187_stop() move the call of usb_kill_anchored_urbs() before clearing b_tx_status.queue. This change prevents callbacks from using already freed skb due to anchor was not killed before freeing such skb. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000080 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI CPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/7 Not tainted 6.15.0 #8 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe+0x21/0xc0 [mac80211] Call Trace: <IRQ> rtl8187_tx_cb+0x116/0x150 [rtl8187] __usb_hcd_giveback_urb+0x9d/0x120 usb_giveback_urb_bh+0xbb/0x140 process_one_work+0x19b/0x3c0 bh_worker+0x1a7/0x210 tasklet_action+0x10/0x30 handle_softirqs+0xf0/0x340 __irq_exit_rcu+0xcd/0xf0 common_interrupt+0x85/0xa0 </IRQ> Tested on RTL8187BvE device. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	2.6.29 — 5.4.297
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.241
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.190
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.148
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.102
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.42
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.15.10
linux	linux_kernel	6.16 — 6.16.1
debian	debian_linux	All

References

Advisories & Patches

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-38604? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtl818x: Kill URBs before clearing tx status queue In rtl8187_stop() move the call of usb_kill_anchored_urbs() before clearing b_tx_status.queue. This change prevents callbacks from using already freed skb due to anchor was not killed before freeing such skb. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000080 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI CPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/7 Not tainted 6.15.0 #8 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe+0x21/0xc0 [mac80211] Call Trace: <IRQ> rtl8187_tx_cb+0x116/0x150 [rtl8187] __usb_hcd_giveback_urb+0x9d/0x120 usb_giveback_urb_bh+0xbb/0x140 process_one_work+0x19b/0x3c0 bh_worker+0x1a7/0x210 tasklet_action+0x10/0x30 handle_softirqs+0xf0/0x340 __irq_exit_rcu+0xcd/0xf0 common_interrupt+0x85/0xa0 </IRQ> Tested on RTL8187BvE device. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38604? +

CVE-2025-38604 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-38604? +

CVE-2025-38604 affects products from debian, linux, specifically: debian_linux, linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-38604? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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