# CVE-2025-40131: wifi: ath12k: Fix peer lookup in ath12k_dp_mon_rx_deliver_msdu()

> A null pointer dereference in the ath12k WiFi driver during monitor mode can cause a kernel warning and potential denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 12 Nov 2025
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-40131, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-40131, GHSA-m4rx-9548-xc7v, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-40131

## What is CVE-2025-40131?

CVE-2025-40131 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 12 Nov 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: ath12k: Fix peer lookup in ath12k_dp_mon_rx_deliver_msdu()

In ath12k_dp_mon_rx_deliver_msdu(), peer lookup fails because
rxcb->peer_id is not updated with a valid value. This is expected
in monitor mode, where RX frames bypass the regular RX
descriptor path that typically sets rxcb->peer_id.
As a result, the peer is NULL, and link_id and link_valid fields
in the RX status are not populated. This leads to a WARN_ON in
mac80211 when it receives data frame from an associated station
with invalid link_id.

Fix this potential issue by using ppduinfo->peer_id, which holds
the correct peer id for the received frame. This ensures that the
peer is correctly found and the associated link metadata is updated
accordingly.

Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.4.1-00199-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40131?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-40131?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-40131 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-40131 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-40131 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 12 Nov 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-2025-40131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2025-40131/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40131/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40131
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-40131
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-40131

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40131/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.