CVE-2025-40197 media: mc: Clear minor number before put device
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel media subsystem allows local attackers to potentially escalate privileges or cause a system crash.
- 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-2025-40197?
CVE-2025-40197 is an use after free 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:
media: mc: Clear minor number before put device
The device minor should not be cleared after the device is released.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40197?
How do I fix CVE-2025-40197?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2025-40197 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-40197 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-70103, BELL-CVE-2025-40197, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-40197, GHSA-qcmj-qqpx-xfgc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-40197, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-40197 and 1 more.