# CVE-2025-68187: net: mdio: Check regmap pointer returned by device_node_to_regmap()

> A missing error check in the Airoha MDIO driver can cause a kernel crash if regmap initialization fails, leading to 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:** 16 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-68187, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68187, GHSA-j4j4-wgmj-58wh, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68187

## What is CVE-2025-68187?

CVE-2025-68187 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Dec 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:

net: mdio: Check regmap pointer returned by device_node_to_regmap()

The call to device_node_to_regmap() in airoha_mdio_probe() can return
an ERR_PTR() if regmap initialization fails. Currently, the driver
stores the pointer without validation, which could lead to a crash
if it is later dereferenced.

Add an IS_ERR() check and return the corresponding error code to make
the probe path more robust.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68187?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-68187?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-68187 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68187 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-68187 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-68187 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Dec 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-2025-68187 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-2025-68187/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68187/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68187
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68187
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-68187

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68187/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.