In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fbdev: Fix fb_set_var to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var

If fb_add_videomode() in fb_set_var() fails to allocate memory for
fb_videomode, later it may lead to a null-ptr dereference in
fb_videomode_to_var(), as the fb_info is registered while not having the
mode in modelist that is expected to be there, i.e. the one that is
described in fb_info->var.

================================================================
general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000001: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN NOPTI
KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f]
CPU: 1 PID: 30371 Comm: syz-executor.1 Not tainted 5.10.226-syzkaller #0
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014
RIP: 0010:fb_videomode_to_var+0x24/0x610 drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:901
Call Trace:
display_to_var+0x3a/0x7c0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:929
fbcon_resize+0x3e2/0x8f0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2071
resize_screen drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1176 [inline]
vc_do_resize+0x53a/0x1170 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1263
fbcon_modechanged+0x3ac/0x6e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2720
fbcon_update_vcs+0x43/0x60 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2776
do_fb_ioctl+0x6d2/0x740 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1128
fb_ioctl+0xe7/0x150 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1203
vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline]
__do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline]
__se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x19a/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:739
do_syscall_64+0x33/0x40 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0xd1
================================================================

The reason is that fb_info->var is being modified in fb_set_var(), and
then fb_videomode_to_var() is called. If it fails to add the mode to
fb_info->modelist, fb_set_var() returns error, but does not restore the
old value of fb_info->var. Restore fb_info->var on failure the same way
it is done earlier in the function.

Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: Fix fb_set_var to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var If fb_add_videomode() in fb_set_var() fails to allocate memory for fb_videomode, later it may lead to a null-ptr dereference in fb_videomode_to_var(), as the fb_info is registered while not having the mode in modelist that is expected to be there, i.e. the one that is described in fb_info->var. ================================================================ general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000001: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] CPU: 1 PID: 30371 Comm: syz-executor.1 Not tainted 5.10.226-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:fb_videomode_to_var+0x24/0x610 drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:901 Call Trace: display_to_var+0x3a/0x7c0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:929 fbcon_resize+0x3e2/0x8f0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2071 resize_screen drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1176 [inline] vc_do_resize+0x53a/0x1170 drivers/tty/vt/vt.c:1263 fbcon_modechanged+0x3ac/0x6e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2720 fbcon_update_vcs+0x43/0x60 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2776 do_fb_ioctl+0x6d2/0x740 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1128 fb_ioctl+0xe7/0x150 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1203 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x19a/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:739 do_syscall_64+0x33/0x40 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0xd1 ================================================================ The reason is that fb_info->var is being modified in fb_set_var(), and then fb_videomode_to_var() is called. If it fails to add the mode to fb_info->modelist, fb_set_var() returns error, but does not restore the old value of fb_info->var. Restore fb_info->var on failure the same way it is done earlier in the function. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Title fbdev: Fix fb_set_var to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-07-28T04:15:21.767Z

Reserved: 2025-04-16T04:51:23.995Z

Link: CVE-2025-38214

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-07-04T14:15:29.843

Modified: 2025-07-08T16:18:53.607

Link: CVE-2025-38214

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2025-07-04T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2025-38214 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2025-07-13T21:47:52Z