fbdev: Fix do_register_framebuffer to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: Fix do_register_framebuffer to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var If fb_add_videomode() in do_register_framebuffer() fails to allocate memory for fb_videomode, it will later lead to a null-ptr dereference in fb_videomode_to_var(), as the fb_info is registered while not having the mode in modelist that is expected to be there, i.e. the one that is described in fb_info->var. ================================================================ general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000001: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] CPU: 1 PID: 30371 Comm: syz-executor.1 Not tainted 5.10.226-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:fb_videomode_to_var+0x24/0x610 drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:901 Call Trace: display_to_var+0x3a/0x7c0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:929 fbcon_resize+0x3e2/0x8f0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2071 resize_screen drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1176 [inline] vc_do_resize+0x53a/0x1170 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1263 fbcon_modechanged+0x3ac/0x6e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2720 fbcon_update_vcs+0x43/0x60 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2776 do_fb_ioctl+0x6d2/0x740 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1128 fb_ioctl+0xe7/0x150 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1203 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x19a/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:739 do_syscall_64+0x33/0x40 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0xd1 ================================================================ Even though fbcon_init() checks beforehand if fb_match_mode() in var_to_display() fails, it can not prevent the panic because fbcon_init() does not return error code. Considering this and the comment in the code about fb_match_mode() returning NULL - "This should not happen" - it is better to prevent registering the fb_info if its mode was not set successfully. Also move fb_add_videomode() closer to the beginning of do_register_framebuffer() to avoid having to do the cleanup on fail. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 6.1.143, 6.6.95, 6.12.35, 6.15.4, 6.16 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 6.1.143, 6.6.95, 6.12.35, 6.15.4, 6.16 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 7
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.13 to before 6.1.143; 6.2 to before 6.6.95; 6.7 to before 6.12.35; 6.13 to before 6.15.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.13 to before 6.1.143; 6.2 to before 6.6.95; 6.7 to before 6.12.35; 6.13 to before 6.15.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.143, 6.6.95, 6.12.35, 6.15.4, 6.16
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38215
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xfr8-3rww-p6wv
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908c5bb64f9c4319902b8ca1aa3fef8f83302520
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0909b2b49c4546a7a08c80f53d93736b63270827
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f2098f4fba7718eb2501207ca6e99d22427f25a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d803c4c2a4ac8ce2be6d899d5c7ab0bf7ec355e9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17186f1f90d34fa701e4f14e6818305151637b9e
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2025-38215 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-38215 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xfr8-3rww-p6wv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-38215 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences