CVE-2025-39897
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Xilinx AXI Ethernet driver of the Linux kernel could cause kernel crashes or undefined behavior when DMA metadata pointer retrieval fails. This affects systems using Xilinx AXI Ethernet hardware with vulnerable kernel versions. The vulnerability requires local access or network access to the affected interface.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with Xilinx AXI 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 →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 leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially allowing privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
System crash or instability when network operations fail on Xilinx AXI Ethernet interfaces, causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact or failed network operations with proper error handling.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering specific DMA error conditions on the Xilinx AXI Ethernet interface. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits 8bbceba7dc5090c00105e006ce28d1292cfda8dd, 92e2fc92bc4eb2bc0e84404316fbc02ddd0a3196, or d0ecda6fdd840b406df6617b003b036f65dd8926
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8bbceba7dc5090c00105e006ce28d1292cfda8dd
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify kernel version after reboot.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Xilinx AXI Ethernet interface
linuxDisable the vulnerable network interface if not required
sudo ip link set dev <interface_name> down
sudo modprobe -r axienet
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems with Xilinx AXI Ethernet hardware
- Monitor system logs for kernel panic or crash events related to network operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if system uses Xilinx AXI Ethernet hardware and has kernel version before fix commits: 'uname -r' and check dmesg for axienet module loadingCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version contains fix commits and test network operations on Xilinx AXI Ethernet interface📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in dmesg
- Network interface errors on Xilinx hardware
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic patterns to Xilinx Ethernet interfaces
- Sudden network interface failures
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "kernel panic" OR "axienet")