CVE-2025-38605

  • Published: 2025-08-19T17:15:38.793

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath12k: Pass ab pointer directly to ath12k_dp_tx_get_encap_type()

In ath12k_dp_tx_get_encap_type(), the arvif parameter is only used to
retrieve the ab pointer. In vdev delete sequence the arvif->ar could
become NULL and that would trigger kernel panic.
Since the caller ath12k_dp_tx() already has a valid ab pointer, pass it
directly to avoid panic and unnecessary dereferencing.

PC points to “ath12k_dp_tx+0x228/0x988 [ath12k]”
LR points to “ath12k_dp_tx+0xc8/0x988 [ath12k]”.
The Backtrace obtained is as follows:
ath12k_dp_tx+0x228/0x988 [ath12k]
ath12k_mac_tx_check_max_limit+0x608/0x920 [ath12k]
ieee80211_process_measurement_req+0x320/0x348 [mac80211]
ieee80211_tx_dequeue+0x9ac/0x1518 [mac80211]
ieee80211_tx_dequeue+0xb14/0x1518 [mac80211]
ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb+0x224/0x254 [mac80211]
ieee80211_xmit+0xec/0x100 [mac80211]
__ieee80211_subif_start_xmit+0xc50/0xf40 [mac80211]
ieee80211_subif_start_xmit+0x2e8/0x308 [mac80211]
netdev_start_xmit+0x150/0x18c
dev_hard_start_xmit+0x74/0xc0

Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.3.1-00173-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

Related CVE by CWE

No related CWE found.

Top CVE for Vendor

No vendor taxonomy on this entry.

Recently Exploited Similar Vulnerabilities

No recent KEV-listed items for this vendor/product.

How to fix CVE-2025-38605

CVE-2025-38605 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath12k: Pass ab pointer directly to ath12k_dp_tx_get_encap_type() In ath12k_dp_tx_get_encap_type(), the arvif parameter is only used to retrieve the ab pointer. In vdev delete sequence the arvif->ar could become NULL and that would trigger kernel panic. Since the caller ath12k_dp_tx() already has a valid ab […]

Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public

How to Fix:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

HARD
⏱️ Time to Exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public Exploits: Rare or not public

Vulnerability Timeline

Aug 19, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Nov 12, 2025
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.