CVE-2025-38537

net: phy: Don't register LEDs for genphy

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: August 16, 2025 at 11:12 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 09:17 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phy: Don't register LEDs for genphy If a PHY has no driver, the genphy driver is probed/removed directly in phy_attach/detach. If the PHY's ofnode has an "leds" subnode, then the LEDs will be (un)registered when probing/removing the genphy driver. This could occur if the leds are for a non-generic driver that isn't loaded for whatever reason. Synchronously removing the PHY device in phy_detach leads to the following deadlock: rtnl_lock() ndo_close() ... phy_detach() phy_remove() phy_leds_unregister() led_classdev_unregister() led_trigger_set() netdev_trigger_deactivate() unregister_netdevice_notifier() rtnl_lock() There is a corresponding deadlock on the open/register side of things (and that one is reported by lockdep), but it requires a race while this one is deterministic. Generic PHYs do not support LEDs anyway, so don't bother registering them.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.13 ≤ v < 6.15.86.4 ≤ v < 6.12.406.4 ≤ v < 6.15.86.4 ≤ v < 6.166.4 ≤ v < 6.6.1006.7 ≤ v < 6.12.401e5b728e9e43ae444e369695a5f722099064646.16 rc16.16 rc26.16 rc36.16 rc46.16 rc56.16 rc66.4
Vendor states this is fixed in 75e1b2079ef0653a2f7aa69be515d86b7faf1908 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in ec158d05eaa91b2809cab65f8068290e3c05ebdd (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f0f2b992d8185a0366be951685e08643aae17d6d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in fd6493533af9e5d73d0d42ff2a8ded978a701dc6 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.40 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.15.8 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.16 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.100 (unaffected)

References (4)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75e1b2079ef0653a2f7aa69be515d86b7faf1908
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec158d05eaa91b2809cab65f8068290e3c05ebdd
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0f2b992d8185a0366be951685e08643aae17d6d
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd6493533af9e5d73d0d42ff2a8ded978a701dc6

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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