CVE-2025-23156
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Venus media driver allows out-of-bounds memory access when parsing HFI packets. Attackers could potentially read or write beyond allocated memory boundaries, leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions with Venus media functionality are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 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 →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 →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 →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 memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges, system compromise, or persistent denial of service.
Likely Case
System crashes, kernel panics, or denial of service due to memory access violations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if system has memory protection mechanisms and the vulnerability is not weaponized.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering the specific HFI packet parsing path, likely through media processing operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple stable kernel versions with commit hashes provided in references
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05b07e52a0d08239147ba3460045855f4fb398de
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Check distribution-specific security advisories. 3. Reboot system after kernel update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Venus media driver
linuxRemove or blacklist the Venus media driver module to prevent vulnerable code from loading
echo 'blacklist venus' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-venus.conf
rmmod venus
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit who can execute media processing operations
- Monitor system logs for kernel panics or memory access violations related to media processing
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and verify if Venus driver is loaded: lsmod | grep venusCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes one of the patched commits: uname -r and check git commit history📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- Out-of-bounds memory access errors in dmesg
- Media driver crash logs
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "oops" OR "venus")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05b07e52a0d08239147ba3460045855f4fb398de
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0beabe9b49190a02321b02792b29fc0f0e28b51f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f9a4bab7d83738963365372e4745854938eab2d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6d278c5548d840c4d85d445347b2a5c31b2ab3a0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9edaaa8e3e15aab1ca413ab50556de1975bcb329
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a736c72d476d1c7ca7be5018f2614ee61168ad01
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bb3fd8b7906a12dc2b61389abb742bf6542d97fb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f195e94c7af921d99abd79f57026a218d191d2c7
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.html
