# CVE-2025-68213: idpf: fix possible vport_config NULL pointer deref in remove

> A local attacker with high privileges can cause a kernel crash by removing the idpf driver when virtual function initialization fails.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-68213, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68213, GHSA-8284-3j42-5wj5, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-68213, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-68213, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68213

## What is CVE-2025-68213?

CVE-2025-68213 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:

idpf: fix possible vport_config NULL pointer deref in remove

Attempting to remove the driver will cause a crash in cases where
the vport failed to initialize. Following trace is from an instance where
the driver failed during an attempt to create a VF:
[ 1661.543624] idpf 0000:84:00.7: Device HW Reset initiated
[ 1722.923726] idpf 0000:84:00.7: Transaction timed-out (op:1 cookie:2900 vc_op:1 salt:29 timeout:60000ms)
[ 1723.353263] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000028
...
[ 1723.358472] RIP: 0010:idpf_remove+0x11c/0x200 [idpf]
...
[ 1723.364973] Call Trace:
[ 1723.365475]  <TASK>
[ 1723.365972]  pci_device_remove+0x42/0xb0
[ 1723.366481]  device_release_driver_internal+0x1a9/0x210
[ 1723.366987]  pci_stop_bus_device+0x6d/0x90
[ 1723.367488]  pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device+0x12/0x20
[ 1723.367971]  pci_iov_remove_virtfn+0xbd/0x120
[ 1723.368309]  sriov_disable+0x34/0xe0
[ 1723.368643]  idpf_sriov_configure+0x58/0x140 [idpf]
[ 1723.368982]  sriov_numvfs_store+0xda/0x1c0

Avoid the NULL pointer dereference by adding NULL pointer check for
vport_config[i], before freeing user_config.q_coalesce.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68213?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-68213?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-68213 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68213 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-68213 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-68213 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-2025-68213 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-2025-68213/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68213/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68213
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68213
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-68213

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68213/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.