# CVE-2025-38486: soundwire: Revert "soundwire: qcom: Add set_channel_map api support"

> A memory corruption bug in the Linux kernel's Qualcomm SoundWire driver causes 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:** 28 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38486, GHSA-j2pq-pqhm-96pq, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38486, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38486, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38486

## What is CVE-2025-38486?

CVE-2025-38486 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 28 Jul 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:

soundwire: Revert "soundwire: qcom: Add set_channel_map api support"

This reverts commit 7796c97df6b1b2206681a07f3c80f6023a6593d5.

This patch broke Dragonboard 845c (sdm845). I see:

    Unexpected kernel BRK exception at EL1
    Internal error: BRK handler: 00000000f20003e8 [#1]  SMP
    pc : qcom_swrm_set_channel_map+0x7c/0x80 [soundwire_qcom]
    lr : snd_soc_dai_set_channel_map+0x34/0x78
    Call trace:
     qcom_swrm_set_channel_map+0x7c/0x80 [soundwire_qcom] (P)
     sdm845_dai_init+0x18c/0x2e0 [snd_soc_sdm845]
     snd_soc_link_init+0x28/0x6c
     snd_soc_bind_card+0x5f4/0xb0c
     snd_soc_register_card+0x148/0x1a4
     devm_snd_soc_register_card+0x50/0xb0
     sdm845_snd_platform_probe+0x124/0x148 [snd_soc_sdm845]
     platform_probe+0x6c/0xd0
     really_probe+0xc0/0x2a4
     __driver_probe_device+0x7c/0x130
     driver_probe_device+0x40/0x118
     __device_attach_driver+0xc4/0x108
     bus_for_each_drv+0x8c/0xf0
     __device_attach+0xa4/0x198
     device_initial_probe+0x18/0x28
     bus_probe_device+0xb8/0xbc
     deferred_probe_work_func+0xac/0xfc
     process_one_work+0x244/0x658
     worker_thread+0x1b4/0x360
     kthread+0x148/0x228
     ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20
    Kernel panic - not syncing: BRK handler: Fatal exception

Dan has also reported following issues with the original patch
https://lore.kernel.org/all/33fe8fe7-719a-405a-9ed2-d9f816ce1d57@sabinyo.mountain/

Bug #1:
The zeroeth element of ctrl->pconfig[] is supposed to be unused.  We
start counting at 1.  However this code sets ctrl->pconfig[0].ch_mask = 128.

Bug #2:
There are SLIM_MAX_TX_PORTS (16) elements in tx_ch[] array but only
QCOM_SDW_MAX_PORTS + 1 (15) in the ctrl->pconfig[] array so it corrupts
memory like Yongqin Liu pointed out.

Bug 3:
Like Jie Gan pointed out, it erases all the tx information with the rx
information.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38486?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38486?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38486 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38486 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-2025-38486 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38486 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 28 Jul 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-2025-38486 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-2025-38486/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38486/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38486
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38486
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38486

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38486/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.