Linux: Out-of-bounds Write
CVE-2025-39818 is a high-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 78d4cf0466c79452e47aa6f720afbde63e709ccc, a7fc15ed629be89e51e09b743277c53e0a0168f5 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 78d4cf0466c79452e47aa6f720afbde63e709ccc or a7fc15ed629be89e51e09b743277c53e0a0168f5, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.16.5 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4228966def884c6e34b85cdc7118c5d013e1718f up to, but not including, 78d4cf0466c79452e47aa6f720afbde63e709ccc; 4228966def884c6e34b85cdc7118c5d013e1718f up to, but not including, a7fc15ed629be89e51e09b743277c53e0a0168f5; 6.14 | 78d4cf0466c79452e47aa6f720afbde63e709ccc, a7fc15ed629be89e51e09b743277c53e0a0168f5 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.14 up to, but not including, 6.16.5; 6.17 | 6.16.5 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: intel-thc-hid: intel-thc: Fix incorrect pointer arithmetic in I2C regs save Improper use of secondary pointer (&dev->i2c_subip_regs) caused kernel crash and out-of-bounds error: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in _regmap_bulk_read+0x449/0x510 Write of size 4 at addr ffff888136005dc0 by task kworker/u33:5/5107 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 5107 Comm: kworker/u33:5 Not tainted 6.16.0+ #3 PREEMPT(voluntary) Workqueue: async async_run_entry_fn Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x76/0xa0 print_report+0xd1/0x660 ? __pfx__raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x10/0x10 ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x26/0x200 kasan_report+0xe1/0x120 ? _regmap_bulk_read+0x449/0x510 ? _regmap_bulk_read+0x449/0x510 __asan_report_store4_noabort+0x17/0x30 _regmap_bulk_read+0x449/0x510 ? __pfx__regmap_bulk_read+0x10/0x10 regmap_bulk_read+0x270/0x3d0 pio_complete+0x1ee/0x2c0 [intel_thc] ? __pfx_pio_complete+0x10/0x10 [intel_thc] ? __pfx_pio_wait+0x10/0x10 [intel_thc] ? regmap_update_bits_base+0x13b/0x1f0 thc_i2c_subip_pio_read+0x117/0x270 [intel_thc] thc_i2c_subip_regs_save+0xc2/0x140 [intel_thc] ? __pfx_thc_i2c_subip_regs_save+0x10/0x10 [intel_thc] [...] The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff888136005d00 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-rnd-12-192 of size 192 The buggy address is located 0 bytes to the right of allocated 192-byte region [ffff888136005d00, ffff888136005dc0) Replaced with direct array indexing (&dev->i2c_subip_regs[i]) to ensure safe memory access.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Write
The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Out-of-bounds Write vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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