# CVE-2025-37973: wifi: cfg80211: fix out-of-bounds access during multi-link element defragmentation

> A local attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds access in the Linux kernel WiFi subsystem, potentially causing a crash or arbitrary code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 May 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-37973, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-37973, GHSA-6ch9-8wg9-2389, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-37973, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37973

## What is CVE-2025-37973?

CVE-2025-37973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 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:

wifi: cfg80211: fix out-of-bounds access during multi-link element defragmentation

Currently during the multi-link element defragmentation process, the
multi-link element length added to the total IEs length when calculating
the length of remaining IEs after the multi-link element in
cfg80211_defrag_mle(). This could lead to out-of-bounds access if the
multi-link element or its corresponding fragment elements are the last
elements in the IEs buffer.

To address this issue, correctly calculate the remaining IEs length by
deducting the multi-link element end offset from total IEs end offset.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-37973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-37973?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-37973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37973 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-2025-37973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-37973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 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-2025-37973 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-2025-37973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-37973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-37973

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.