VulnerabilityPublished 22 Aug 2025Updated 5 Nov 2026

CVE-2025-38665: Linux kernel · can: netlink: can_changelink(): fix NULL pointer deref of struct can_priv::do_set_mode

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 5 Nov 2026, 21:34 UTC

Severity

Unrated

Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

Exploitation: No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable: Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact: Limited control over the software or limited information exposure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-05.

Patch

Available – fixed in cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894, c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52, 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599 +2

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Aug 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 5 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17, < cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894	Fixed in cf81a60a973358dea163f6b14062f17831ceb894
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17, < c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52	Fixed in c1f3f9797c1f44a762e6f5f72520b2e520537b52
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17, < 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599	Fixed in 6bbcf37c5114926c99a1d1e6993a5b35689d2599
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17, < 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae	Fixed in 6acceb46180f9e160d4f0c56fcaf39ba562822ae
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 39549eef3587f1c1e8c65c88a2400d10fd30ea17, < 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5	Fixed in 0ca816a96fdcf32644c80cbe7a82c7b6ce6ddda5
LinuxLinux	Affected =2.6.31	Fixed in–

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: can: netlink: can_changelink(): fix NULL pointer deref of struct can_priv::do_set_mode Andrei Lalaev reported a NULL pointer deref when a CAN device is restarted from Bus Off and the driver does not implement the struct can_priv::do_set_mode callback. There are 2 code path that call struct can_priv::do_set_mode: - directly by a manual restart from the user space, via can_changelink() - delayed automatic restart after bus off (deactivated by default) To prevent the NULL pointer deference, refuse a manual restart or configure the automatic restart delay in can_changelink() and report the error via extack to user space. As an additional safety measure let can_restart() return an error if can_priv::do_set_mode is not set instead of dereferencing it unchecked.

References

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