CVE-2025-38480
- Published: 2025-07-28T12:15:29.853
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
comedi: Fix use of uninitialized data in insn_rw_emulate_bits()
For Comedi `INSN_READ` and `INSN_WRITE` instructions on “digital”
subdevices (subdevice types `COMEDI_SUBD_DI`, `COMEDI_SUBD_DO`, and
`COMEDI_SUBD_DIO`), it is common for the subdevice driver not to have
`insn_read` and `insn_write` handler functions, but to have an
`insn_bits` handler function for handling Comedi `INSN_BITS`
instructions. In that case, the subdevice’s `insn_read` and/or
`insn_write` function handler pointers are set to point to the
`insn_rw_emulate_bits()` function by `__comedi_device_postconfig()`.
For `INSN_WRITE`, `insn_rw_emulate_bits()` currently assumes that the
supplied `data[0]` value is a valid copy from user memory. It will at
least exist because `do_insnlist_ioctl()` and `do_insn_ioctl()` in
“comedi_fops.c” ensure at lease `MIN_SAMPLES` (16) elements are
allocated. However, if `insn->n` is 0 (which is allowable for
`INSN_READ` and `INSN_WRITE` instructions, then `data[0]` may contain
uninitialized data, and certainly contains invalid data, possibly from a
different instruction in the array of instructions handled by
`do_insnlist_ioctl()`. This will result in an incorrect value being
written to the digital output channel (or to the digital input/output
channel if configured as an output), and may be reflected in the
internal saved state of the channel.
Fix it by returning 0 early if `insn->n` is 0, before reaching the code
that accesses `data[0]`. Previously, the function always returned 1 on
success, but it is supposed to be the number of data samples actually
read or written up to `insn->n`, which is 0 in this case.
Related CVE by CWE
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How to fix CVE-2025-38480
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: comedi: Fix use of uninitialized data in insn_rw_emulate_bits() For Comedi `INSN_READ` and `INSN_WRITE` instructions on “digital” subdevices (subdevice types `COMEDI_SUBD_DI`, `COMEDI_SUBD_DO`, and `COMEDI_SUBD_DIO`), it is common for the subdevice driver not to have `insn_read` and `insn_write` handler functions, but to have an `insn_bits` handler function […]
Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public
How to Fix:
- Check if you're running the affected product
- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access
- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)
- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations
Exploit Difficulty Assessment
Vulnerability Timeline
CVE details first published to NVD database
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