# CVE-2025-48768: Apache NuttX RTOS: fs/inode: fs_inoderemove root inode removal

> Attackers with write access to network-exposed filesystems can trigger a null pointer dereference or assert, causing a denial of service in NuttX RTOS.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hxp8-h2pw-f72f

## What is CVE-2025-48768?

CVE-2025-48768 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache NuttX RTOS, published on 1 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference vulnerability was discovered in fs/inode/fs_inoderemove code of the Apache NuttX RTOS that allowed root filesystem inode removal leading to a debug assert trigger (that is disabled by default), NULL pointer dereference (handled differently depending on the target architecture), or in general, a Denial of Service.

This issue affects Apache NuttX RTOS: from 10.0.0 before 12.10.0.

Users of filesystem based services with write access that were exposed over the network (i.e. FTP) are affected and recommended to upgrade to version 12.10.0 that fixes the issue.

Weakness: CWE-763 (Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-48768?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apache Nuttx.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-48768?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-48768 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-48768 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-48768 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache NuttX RTOS

- [CVE-2025-47868](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47868/): Apache NuttX RTOS: tools/bdf-converter.: tools/bdf-converter: Fix loop termination condition. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-47869](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47869/): Apache NuttX RTOS: examples/xmlrpc: Fix calls buffers size. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-35003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35003/): Apache NuttX RTOS: NuttX Bluetooth Stack HCI and UART DoS/RCE Vulnerabilities. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-26461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26461/): malloc, realloc and memalign implementations are vulnerable to integer wrap-arounds (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-17529](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-17529/): Apache NuttX (incubating) Out of Bound Write from invalid fragmentation offset value specified in the IP header (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-48768 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-48768 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache NuttX RTOS, published on 1 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-48768 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apache NuttX RTOS. 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-2025-48768/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48768/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-48768
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-48768
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48768

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48768/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.