CVE-2025-38693 media: dvb-frontends: w7090p: fix null-ptr-deref in w7090p_tuner_write_serpar and w7090p_tuner_read_serpar
A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's w7090p DVB frontend driver allows local attackers to cause a system crash via crafted I2C messages.
- 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
What is CVE-2025-38693?
CVE-2025-38693 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 4 Sep 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:
media: dvb-frontends: w7090p: fix null-ptr-deref in w7090p_tuner_write_serpar and w7090p_tuner_read_serpar
In w7090p_tuner_write_serpar, msg is controlled by user. When msg[0].buf is null and msg[0].len is zero, former checks on msg[0].buf would be passed. If accessing msg[0].buf[2] without sanity check, null pointer deref would happen. We add check on msg[0].len to prevent crash.
Similar commit: commit 0ed554fd769a ("media: dvb-usb: az6027: fix null-ptr-deref in az6027_i2c_xfer()")
Weakness: CWE-476
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38693?
It affects 2 products.
Products include Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2025-38693?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-38693 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38693 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux
Sources
Also known as AZL-73923, BELL-CVE-2025-38693, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38693, GHSA-qp76-qqr3-xhv8, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38693, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38693 and 3 more.