CVE-2025-38643 (GCVE-0-2025-38643)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2025-08-22 16:00
Modified
2026-08-05 12:03
Severity ?
8.8 (High) - CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: Add missing lock in cfg80211_check_and_end_cac() Callers of wdev_chandef() must hold the wiphy mutex. But the worker cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk() never takes the lock. Which triggers the warning below with the mesh_peer_connected_dfs test from hostapd and not (yet) released mac80211 code changes: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 495 at net/wireless/chan.c:1552 wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165 Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 495 Comm: kworker/u4:2 Not tainted 6.14.0-rc5-wt-g03960e6f9d47 #33 13c287eeabfe1efea01c0bcc863723ab082e17cf Workqueue: cfg80211 cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk Stack: 00000000 00000001 ffffff00 6093267c 00000000 6002ec30 6d577c50 60037608 00000000 67e8d108 6063717b 00000000 Call Trace: [<6002ec30>] ? _printk+0x0/0x98 [<6003c2b3>] show_stack+0x10e/0x11a [<6002ec30>] ? _printk+0x0/0x98 [<60037608>] dump_stack_lvl+0x71/0xb8 [<6063717b>] ? wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165 [<6003766d>] dump_stack+0x1e/0x20 [<6005d1b7>] __warn+0x101/0x20f [<6005d3a8>] warn_slowpath_fmt+0xe3/0x15d [<600b0c5c>] ? mark_lock.part.0+0x0/0x4ec [<60751191>] ? __this_cpu_preempt_check+0x0/0x16 [<600b11a2>] ? mark_held_locks+0x5a/0x6e [<6005d2c5>] ? warn_slowpath_fmt+0x0/0x15d [<60052e53>] ? unblock_signals+0x3a/0xe7 [<60052f2d>] ? um_set_signals+0x2d/0x43 [<60751191>] ? __this_cpu_preempt_check+0x0/0x16 [<607508b2>] ? lock_is_held_type+0x207/0x21f [<6063717b>] wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165 [<605f89b4>] regulatory_propagate_dfs_state+0x247/0x43f [<60052f00>] ? um_set_signals+0x0/0x43 [<605e6bfd>] cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk+0x3a/0x4a [<6007e460>] process_scheduled_works+0x3bc/0x60e [<6007d0ec>] ? move_linked_works+0x4d/0x81 [<6007d120>] ? assign_work+0x0/0xaa [<6007f81f>] worker_thread+0x220/0x2dc [<600786ef>] ? set_pf_worker+0x0/0x57 [<60087c96>] ? to_kthread+0x0/0x43 [<6008ab3c>] kthread+0x2d3/0x2e2 [<6007f5ff>] ? worker_thread+0x0/0x2dc [<6006c05b>] ? calculate_sigpending+0x0/0x56 [<6003b37d>] new_thread_handler+0x4a/0x64 irq event stamp: 614611 hardirqs last enabled at (614621): [<00000000600bc96b>] __up_console_sem+0x82/0xaf hardirqs last disabled at (614630): [<00000000600bc92c>] __up_console_sem+0x43/0xaf softirqs last enabled at (614268): [<00000000606c55c6>] __ieee80211_wake_queue+0x933/0x985 softirqs last disabled at (614266): [<00000000606c52d6>] __ieee80211_wake_queue+0x643/0x985
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d
Version: 2dbb6faebb94d6d5ae87e5ea6be9280c366393e1
Version: a4f85674e4693904ade7cbf6722d0d105d8062d8
Version: e233cbaf8ecc5859f0417dd53899da4edb477991
Version: 4.14.170   ≤
Version: 4.19.102   ≤
Version: 5.4.18   ≤
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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "net/wireless/reg.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
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              "status": "affected",
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            },
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "7022df2248c08c6f75a01714163ac902333bf3db",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "dbce810607726408f889d3358f4780fd1436861e",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "2c5dee15239f3f3e31aa5c8808f18996c039e2c1",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "26ec17a1dc5ecdd8d91aba63ead6f8b5ad5dea0d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2dbb6faebb94d6d5ae87e5ea6be9280c366393e1",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "a4f85674e4693904ade7cbf6722d0d105d8062d8",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "e233cbaf8ecc5859f0417dd53899da4edb477991",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "4.15",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "4.14.170",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "4.20",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "4.19.102",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.5",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.4.18",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "net/wireless/reg.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.5"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.5",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.164",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.118",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.57",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.15.10",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.16.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.16.1",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.17",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.164",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.118",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.57",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.15.10",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.16.1",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.17",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.14.170",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.19.102",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.4.18",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: cfg80211: Add missing lock in cfg80211_check_and_end_cac()\n\nCallers of wdev_chandef() must hold the wiphy mutex.\n\nBut the worker cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk() never takes the lock.\nWhich triggers the warning below with the mesh_peer_connected_dfs\ntest from hostapd and not (yet) released mac80211 code changes:\n\nWARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 495 at net/wireless/chan.c:1552 wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165\nModules linked in:\nCPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 495 Comm: kworker/u4:2 Not tainted 6.14.0-rc5-wt-g03960e6f9d47 #33 13c287eeabfe1efea01c0bcc863723ab082e17cf\nWorkqueue: cfg80211 cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk\nStack:\n 00000000 00000001 ffffff00 6093267c\n 00000000 6002ec30 6d577c50 60037608\n 00000000 67e8d108 6063717b 00000000\nCall Trace:\n [\u003c6002ec30\u003e] ? _printk+0x0/0x98\n [\u003c6003c2b3\u003e] show_stack+0x10e/0x11a\n [\u003c6002ec30\u003e] ? _printk+0x0/0x98\n [\u003c60037608\u003e] dump_stack_lvl+0x71/0xb8\n [\u003c6063717b\u003e] ? wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165\n [\u003c6003766d\u003e] dump_stack+0x1e/0x20\n [\u003c6005d1b7\u003e] __warn+0x101/0x20f\n [\u003c6005d3a8\u003e] warn_slowpath_fmt+0xe3/0x15d\n [\u003c600b0c5c\u003e] ? mark_lock.part.0+0x0/0x4ec\n [\u003c60751191\u003e] ? __this_cpu_preempt_check+0x0/0x16\n [\u003c600b11a2\u003e] ? mark_held_locks+0x5a/0x6e\n [\u003c6005d2c5\u003e] ? warn_slowpath_fmt+0x0/0x15d\n [\u003c60052e53\u003e] ? unblock_signals+0x3a/0xe7\n [\u003c60052f2d\u003e] ? um_set_signals+0x2d/0x43\n [\u003c60751191\u003e] ? __this_cpu_preempt_check+0x0/0x16\n [\u003c607508b2\u003e] ? lock_is_held_type+0x207/0x21f\n [\u003c6063717b\u003e] wdev_chandef+0x60/0x165\n [\u003c605f89b4\u003e] regulatory_propagate_dfs_state+0x247/0x43f\n [\u003c60052f00\u003e] ? um_set_signals+0x0/0x43\n [\u003c605e6bfd\u003e] cfg80211_propagate_cac_done_wk+0x3a/0x4a\n [\u003c6007e460\u003e] process_scheduled_works+0x3bc/0x60e\n [\u003c6007d0ec\u003e] ? move_linked_works+0x4d/0x81\n [\u003c6007d120\u003e] ? assign_work+0x0/0xaa\n [\u003c6007f81f\u003e] worker_thread+0x220/0x2dc\n [\u003c600786ef\u003e] ? set_pf_worker+0x0/0x57\n [\u003c60087c96\u003e] ? to_kthread+0x0/0x43\n [\u003c6008ab3c\u003e] kthread+0x2d3/0x2e2\n [\u003c6007f5ff\u003e] ? worker_thread+0x0/0x2dc\n [\u003c6006c05b\u003e] ? calculate_sigpending+0x0/0x56\n [\u003c6003b37d\u003e] new_thread_handler+0x4a/0x64\nirq event stamp: 614611\nhardirqs last  enabled at (614621): [\u003c00000000600bc96b\u003e] __up_console_sem+0x82/0xaf\nhardirqs last disabled at (614630): [\u003c00000000600bc92c\u003e] __up_console_sem+0x43/0xaf\nsoftirqs last  enabled at (614268): [\u003c00000000606c55c6\u003e] __ieee80211_wake_queue+0x933/0x985\nsoftirqs last disabled at (614266): [\u003c00000000606c52d6\u003e] __ieee80211_wake_queue+0x643/0x985"
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 8.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:A - The vulnerable worker is driven by DFS events on the 802.11 stack \u2014 radar detection, which an attacker in RF range can force on demand by transmitting DFS radar pulse patterns, and CAC completion during normal AP/mesh operation; the racing side is driven by remote peer activity (mesh peering, association, channel switch) on a second radio. This is same-RF-segment reach, matching the WiFi = Adjacent classification.\nAC:L - The attacker controls both sides of the race \u2014 radar-event injection can be repeated indefinitely to re-arm the unlocked worker while over-the-air traffic keeps the second wiphy busy in mutex-protected chanctx work. The guaranteed lockdep WARN in wdev_chandef() needs no race at all, only the multi-radio DFS configuration that is standard on AP/mesh hardware.\nPR:N - No credentials or local account are needed; radar pulse injection and mesh/association frames require no authentication to the target, and CAC-finished events occur during ordinary AP operation. The attacker holds no privileges on the affected system.\nUI:N - No victim action is required \u2014 the worker runs automatically from the cfg80211 workqueue whenever a DFS radar or CAC-finished event propagates to another wiphy.\nS:U - The corruption and crash are confined to the kernel\u0027s own security authority; no VM, IOMMU, or sandbox boundary is crossed.\nC:H - Running __ieee80211_link_release_channel() without the wiphy mutex races chanctx refcounting and can free a struct ieee80211_chanctx still referenced by another link, yielding a use-after-free on a heap object whose contents are influenceable via crafted channel parameters \u2014 a UAF read primitive over kernel memory.\nI:H - The same unsynchronized free/reassign of chanctx state gives a write-after-free into a reallocated slab object, and the unlocked mutation of link chanctx pointers and CAC state corrupts wiphy-mutex-protected structures \u2014 memory corruption exploitable for control-flow hijack.\nA:H - The path unconditionally hits the lockdep_assert_wiphy() WARN in wdev_chandef(), which panics on panic_on_warn systems, and the chanctx refcount/list corruption and use-after-free produce kernel oopses and panics on the affected AP."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:03:39.579Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/defe9ce121160788547e8e6ec4438ad8a14f40dd"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3d24038eb775f2f7a1dfef58d8e1dc444a12820"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a63523d3541eef4cf504a9682e6fbe94ffe79a6"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7022df2248c08c6f75a01714163ac902333bf3db"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbce810607726408f889d3358f4780fd1436861e"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c5dee15239f3f3e31aa5c8808f18996c039e2c1"
        }
      ],
      "title": "wifi: cfg80211: Add missing lock in cfg80211_check_and_end_cac()",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-38643",
    "datePublished": "2025-08-22T16:00:49.172Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-04-16T04:51:24.030Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-05T12:03:39.579Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}


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