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

net: core: prevent NULL deref in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower()

The ethtool tsconfig Netlink path can trigger a null pointer
dereference. A call chain such as:

tsconfig_prepare_data() ->
dev_get_hwtstamp_phylib() ->
vlan_hwtstamp_get() ->
generic_hwtstamp_get_lower() ->
generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower()

results in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() being called with
kernel_cfg->ifr as NULL.

The generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() function does not expect
a NULL ifr and dereferences it, leading to a system crash.

Fix this by adding a NULL check for kernel_cfg->ifr in
generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower(). If ifr is NULL, return -EINVAL.
Advisories

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Fixes

Solution

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Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: core: prevent NULL deref in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() The ethtool tsconfig Netlink path can trigger a null pointer dereference. A call chain such as: tsconfig_prepare_data() -> dev_get_hwtstamp_phylib() -> vlan_hwtstamp_get() -> generic_hwtstamp_get_lower() -> generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() results in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() being called with kernel_cfg->ifr as NULL. The generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower() function does not expect a NULL ifr and dereferences it, leading to a system crash. Fix this by adding a NULL check for kernel_cfg->ifr in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower(). If ifr is NULL, return -EINVAL.
Title net: core: prevent NULL deref in generic_hwtstamp_ioctl_lower()
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-12-04T16:08:17.023Z

Reserved: 2025-04-16T07:20:57.181Z

Link: CVE-2025-40255

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-12-04T16:16:19.227

Modified: 2025-12-04T17:15:08.283

Link: CVE-2025-40255

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.