CVE-2025-38609
- Published: 2025-08-19T17:15:39.343
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
PM / devfreq: Check governor before using governor->name
Commit 96ffcdf239de (“PM / devfreq: Remove redundant governor_name from
struct devfreq”) removes governor_name and uses governor->name to replace
it. But devfreq->governor may be NULL and directly using
devfreq->governor->name may cause null pointer exception. Move the check of
governor to before using governor->name.
Related CVE by CWE
No related CWE found.
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Recently Exploited Similar Vulnerabilities
No recent KEV-listed items for this vendor/product.
How to fix CVE-2025-38609
CVE-2025-38609 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PM / devfreq: Check governor before using governor->name Commit 96ffcdf239de (“PM / devfreq: Remove redundant governor_name from struct devfreq”) removes governor_name and uses governor->name to replace it. But devfreq->governor may be NULL and directly using devfreq->governor->name may cause null pointer exception. Move the check of […]
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
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PM / devfreq: Check governor before using governor->name Commit 96ffcdf239de (“PM / devfreq: Remove redundant governor_name from struct devfreq”) removes governor_name and uses governor->name to replace it. But devfreq->governor may be NULL and directly using devfreq->governor->name may cause null pointer exception. Move the check of […]
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.