# CVE-2025-37801: spi: spi-imx: Add check for spi_imx_setupxfer()

> A missing return value check in the Linux kernel SPI driver can lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing a system crash.

- **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:** 8 May 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-63791, BELL-CVE-2025-37801, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-37801, GHSA-vp37-f5jx-gpcx, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-37801, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-37801, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-37801, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-37801, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37801

## What is CVE-2025-37801?

CVE-2025-37801 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 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:

spi: spi-imx: Add check for spi_imx_setupxfer()

Add check for the return value of spi_imx_setupxfer().
spi_imx->rx and spi_imx->tx function pointer can be NULL when
spi_imx_setupxfer() return error, and make NULL pointer dereference.

 Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000
 Call trace:
  0x0
  spi_imx_pio_transfer+0x50/0xd8
  spi_imx_transfer_one+0x18c/0x858
  spi_transfer_one_message+0x43c/0x790
  __spi_pump_transfer_message+0x238/0x5d4
  __spi_sync+0x2b0/0x454
  spi_write_then_read+0x11c/0x200

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-37801?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-37801?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-37801 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37801 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-2025-37801 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-37801 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 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-2025-37801 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-2025-37801/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37801/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-37801
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37801
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-37801

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37801/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.