# CVE-2025-37791: ethtool: cmis_cdb: use correct rpl size in ethtool_cmis_module_poll()

> A stack corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel ethtool CMIS module can cause a kernel panic, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 May 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-37791, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-37791, GHSA-4jf5-7pvp-xf23, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37791

## What is CVE-2025-37791?

CVE-2025-37791 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

ethtool: cmis_cdb: use correct rpl size in ethtool_cmis_module_poll()

rpl is passed as a pointer to ethtool_cmis_module_poll(), so the correct
size of rpl is sizeof(*rpl) which should be just 1 byte.  Using the
pointer size instead can cause stack corruption:

Kernel panic - not syncing: stack-protector: Kernel stack is corrupted in: ethtool_cmis_wait_for_cond+0xf4/0x100
CPU: 72 UID: 0 PID: 4440 Comm: kworker/72:2 Kdump: loaded Tainted: G           OE      6.11.0 #24
Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE, [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE
Hardware name: Dell Inc. PowerEdge R760/04GWWM, BIOS 1.6.6 09/20/2023
Workqueue: events module_flash_fw_work
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 panic+0x339/0x360
 ? ethtool_cmis_wait_for_cond+0xf4/0x100
 ? __pfx_status_success+0x10/0x10
 ? __pfx_status_fail+0x10/0x10
 __stack_chk_fail+0x10/0x10
 ethtool_cmis_wait_for_cond+0xf4/0x100
 ethtool_cmis_cdb_execute_cmd+0x1fc/0x330
 ? __pfx_status_fail+0x10/0x10
 cmis_cdb_module_features_get+0x6d/0xd0
 ethtool_cmis_cdb_init+0x8a/0xd0
 ethtool_cmis_fw_update+0x46/0x1d0
 module_flash_fw_work+0x17/0xa0
 process_one_work+0x179/0x390
 worker_thread+0x239/0x340
 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10
 kthread+0xcc/0x100
 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
 ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x50
 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
 </TASK>

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-37791?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-37791?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-37791 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37791 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-37791 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-37791 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37791 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37791/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37791/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-37791
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37791
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-37791

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37791/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.