CVE-2025-38425 – A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Tegra I2C... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2025-38425?

CVE-2025-38425 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Tegra I2C driver allows improper validation of SMBUS block read message lengths. Attackers could exploit this to cause kernel memory corruption or denial of service. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with Tegra I2C hardware are vulnerable.

📋 TL;DR

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Tegra I2C driver allows improper validation of SMBUS block read message lengths. Attackers could exploit this to cause kernel memory corruption or denial of service. Systems using affected Linux kernel versions with Tegra I2C hardware are vulnerable.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with Tegra I2C driver

Versions: Kernel versions before the fix commits (specific versions vary by distribution)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems with NVIDIA Tegra hardware using the vulnerable I2C driver. Most standard Linux distributions are not affected unless using Tegra-based hardware.

📦 What is this software?

Debian Linux by Debian

View all CVEs affecting Debian Linux →

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 panic, system crash, or potential arbitrary code execution in kernel context leading to full system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability, kernel crashes, or denial of service affecting device functionality.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact if proper input validation is implemented or vulnerable hardware is not present.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to I2C hardware interface.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be exploited by malicious local users or compromised applications with hardware access.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires access to I2C hardware interface and ability to send crafted SMBUS messages. No public exploits known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 3f03f77ce688d02da284174e1884b6065d6159bd, 75a864f21ceeb8c1e8ce1b7589174fec2c3a039e, a6e04f05ce0b070ab39d5775580e65c7d943da0b, be5f6a65509cd5675362f15eb0440fb28b0f9d64, or c39d1a9ae4ad66afcecab124d7789722bfe909fa

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f03f77ce688d02da284174e1884b6065d6159bd

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel package. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Tegra I2C driver

linux

Remove or blacklist the vulnerable driver module if not required

echo 'blacklist i2c-tegra' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod i2c-tegra

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict physical and logical access to I2C hardware interfaces
Implement strict access controls for users and applications that can interact with I2C devices

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if Tegra I2C driver is loaded: lsmod | grep i2c-tegra. If loaded and kernel version is before fix commits, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version contains fix commits: git log --oneline | grep -E '3f03f77ce688|75a864f21cee|a6e04f05ce0b|be5f6a65509c|c39d1a9ae4ad'

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
System crash/panic logs
I2C error messages in dmesg

Network Indicators:

Not applicable - local hardware vulnerability

SIEM Query:

Not applicable for network detection

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-38425

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (4.4th percentile)

Published: July 25, 2025

Last Updated: December 23, 2025

🔗 References

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