CVE-2025-38292
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath12k WiFi driver. An attacker could potentially exploit this memory corruption to crash the system or execute arbitrary code. Systems running Linux kernels with the vulnerable ath12k driver are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ath12k 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 denial of service, or potential arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges resulting in complete system compromise.
Likely Case
System crash or instability when processing specific WiFi packets, causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if exploit attempts are blocked by network filtering or if the vulnerable driver isn't loaded.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending crafted WiFi packets to trigger the vulnerable code path. No public exploit code is known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel versions containing commits 371b340affa52f280f6eadfd25fbd43f09f0d5c0, 5f09d16cd57764c95c8548fe5b70672c9ac01127, or 9f17747fbda6fca934854463873c4abf8061491d
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/371b340affa52f280f6eadfd25fbd43f09f0d5c0
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load patched kernel. 3. Verify ath12k driver is using patched code.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ath12k driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable ath12k WiFi driver module
echo 'blacklist ath12k' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ath12k.conf
rmmod ath12k
Network filtering
allBlock suspicious WiFi packets at network perimeter
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable WiFi interfaces using ath12k driver
- Implement strict network segmentation to limit WiFi traffic exposure
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if ath12k module is loaded: lsmod | grep ath12k. If loaded, check kernel version against patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits: git log --oneline | grep -E '371b340a|5f09d16c|9f17747f'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- ath12k driver crash logs
- system instability after WiFi activity
Network Indicators:
- Unusual WiFi packet patterns targeting ath12k devices
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("ath12k" OR "use-after-free")