CVE-2025-37836: Linux kernel · PCI: Fix reference leak in pci_register_host_bridge()
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Low.
Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 18:58 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or noneCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 May 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel source. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include the patch for CVE-2025-37836 to resolve the reference leak issue. Since this is a code-level fix, upgrading to the patched kernel version is the recommended remediation.
Description
CVE-2025-37836 is a medium-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel involving a reference leak in the pci_register_host_bridge() function. The issue occurs when device_register() fails, and the reference is not properly released, leading to a memory leak. This flaw was identified through code review and has been fixed by ensuring put_device() is called to release the reference.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37836 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3297497ad2246eb9243849bfbbc57a0dea97d76e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/804443c1f27883926de94c849d91f5b7d7d696e9 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9707d0c932f41006a2701afc926b232b50e356b4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b783478e0c53ffb4f04f25fb4e21ef7f482b05df (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbba4c50a2d2a1d3f3bf31cc4b8280cb492bf2c7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd2a352a0d72575f1842d28c14c10089f0cfe1ae (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4db1b2c9ae3d013733c302ee70cac943b7070c0 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9208aec86226524ec1cb68a09ac70e974ea6536 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.html (opens in a new tab)