CVE-2025-22006
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TI AM65 CPSW Ethernet driver causes a NULL pointer dereference when network traffic arrives before NAPI callbacks are properly registered. This affects Linux systems using the affected driver, potentially causing kernel panics and system crashes.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with TI AM65 CPSW Ethernet driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Kernel panic leading to complete system crash and denial of service, requiring physical or remote console access to reboot.
Likely Case
Random system crashes or network interface failures when specific network traffic patterns trigger the race condition.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact from proper NAPI registration sequence with no security implications.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires precise timing of network traffic to trigger the race condition; not reliably weaponizable.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel stable releases containing commits 5f079290e591, 942557abed7f, or d4bf956547c3
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f079290e5913a0060e059500b7d440990ac1066
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from distribution vendor. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify driver functionality post-update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable affected network interface
linuxTemporarily disable the AM65 CPSW Ethernet interface to prevent triggering the race condition
sudo ip link set dev <interface_name> down
Use alternative network interface
linuxConfigure system to use different network hardware if available
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected systems from untrusted network traffic
- Implement monitoring for kernel panic events and automated recovery procedures
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if system uses TI AM65 CPSW driver: lsmod | grep am65_cpsw and check kernel version against patched releasesCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits: grep -r '5f079290e591\|942557abed7f\|d4bf956547c3' /boot/System.map*📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
- NULL pointer dereference errors mentioning am65_cpsw
Network Indicators:
- Sudden network interface disappearance
- Increased packet loss on affected interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic") AND "am65_cpsw"