CVE-2025-38142: debian linux Null Dereference — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hwmon: (asus-ec-sensors) check sensor index in read_string() Prevent a potential invalid memory access when the requested sensor is not found. find_ec_sensor_index() may return a negative value (e.g. -ENOENT), but its result was used without checking, which could lead to undefined behavior when passed to get_sensor_info(). Add a proper check to return -EINVAL if sensor_index is negative. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE. [groeck: Return error code returned from find_ec_sensor_index]

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-476 CWE-476

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.18 — 6.1.142
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.94
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.34
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.15.3
debian	debian_linux	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19bd9cde38dd4ca1771aed7afba623e7f4247c8e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25be318324563c63cbd9cb53186203a08d2f83a1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e9e45746b861ebd54c03ef301da2cb8fc990536 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bf529ce84dccc0074dbc704e70aee4aa545057e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7eeb3df6f07a886bdfd52757ede127a59a8784dc

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-38142? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hwmon: (asus-ec-sensors) check sensor index in read_string() Prevent a potential invalid memory access when the requested sensor is not found. find_ec_sensor_index() may return a negative value (e.g. -ENOENT), but its result was used without checking, which could lead to undefined behavior when passed to get_sensor_info(). Add a proper check to return -EINVAL if sensor_index is negative. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE. [groeck: Return error code returned from find_ec_sensor_index] It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38142? +

CVE-2025-38142 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-38142? +

CVE-2025-38142 affects products from debian, linux, specifically: debian_linux, linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-38142? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2025-38142