Security assessments indicate that CVE-2025-38558 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Last updated: 🕝 28 Nov 2025, 14:42 UTC
Originally published on: 🕔 19 Aug 2025, 17:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 100 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2025-38558: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: gadget: uvc: Initialize frame-based format color matching descriptor Fix NULL pointer crash in uvcg_framebased_make due to uninitialized color matching descriptor for frame-based format which was added in commit f5e7bdd34aca ("usb: gadget: uvc: Allow creating new color matching descriptors") that added handling for uncompressed and mjpeg format. Crash is seen when userspace configuration (via configfs) does not explicitly define the color matching descriptor. If color_matching is not found, config_group_find_item() returns NULL. The code then jumps to out_put_cm, where it calls config_item_put(color_matching);. If color_matching is NULL, this will dereference a null pointer, leading to a crash. [ 2.746440] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 000000000000008c [ 2.756273] Mem abort info: [ 2.760080] ESR = 0x0000000096000005 [ 2.764872] EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits [ 2.771068] SET = 0, FnV = 0 [ 2.771069] EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 [ 2.771070] FSC = 0x05: level 1 translation fault [ 2.771071] Data abort info: [ 2.771072] ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000005, ISS2 = 0x00000000 [ 2.771073] CM = 0, WnR = 0, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 [ 2.771074] GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 [ 2.771075] user pgtable: 4k pages, 39-bit VAs, pgdp=00000000a3e59000 [ 2.771077] [000000000000008c] pgd=0000000000000000, p4d=0000000000000000, pud=0000000000000000 [ 2.771081] Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000005 [#1] PREEMPT SMP [ 2.771084] Dumping ftrace buffer: [ 2.771085] (ftrace buffer empty) [ 2.771138] CPU: 7 PID: 486 Comm: ln Tainted: G W E 6.6.58-android15 [ 2.771139] Hardware name: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. SunP QRD HDK (DT) [ 2.771140] pstate: 61400005 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) [ 2.771141] pc : __uvcg_fill_strm+0x198/0x2cc [ 2.771145] lr : __uvcg_iter_strm_cls+0xc8/0x17c [ 2.771146] sp : ffffffc08140bbb0 [ 2.771146] x29: ffffffc08140bbb0 x28: ffffff803bc81380 x27: ffffff8023bbd250 [ 2.771147] x26: ffffff8023bbd250 x25: ffffff803c361348 x24: ffffff803d8e6768 [ 2.771148] x23: 0000000000000004 x22: 0000000000000003 x21: ffffffc08140bc48 [ 2.771149] x20: 0000000000000000 x19: ffffffc08140bc48 x18: ffffffe9f8cf4a00 [ 2.771150] x17: 000000001bf64ec3 x16: 000000001bf64ec3 x15: ffffff8023bbd250 [ 2.771151] x14: 000000000000000f x13: 004c4b40000f4240 x12: 000a2c2a00051615 [ 2.771152] x11: 000000000000004f x10: ffffffe9f76b40ec x9 : ffffffe9f7e389d0 [ 2.771153] x8 : ffffff803d0d31ce x7 : 000f4240000a2c2a x6 : 0005161500028b0a [ 2.771154] x5 : ffffff803d0d31ce x4 : 0000000000000003 x3 : 0000000000000000 [ 2.771155] x2 : ffffffc08140bc50 x1 : ffffffc08140bc48 x0 : 0000000000000000 [ 2.771156] Call trace: [ 2.771157] __uvcg_fill_strm+0x198/0x2cc [ 2.771157] __uvcg_iter_strm_cls+0xc8/0x17c [ 2.771158] uvcg_streaming_class_allow_link+0x240/0x290 [ 2.771159] configfs_symlink+0x1f8/0x630 [ 2.771161] vfs_symlink+0x114/0x1a0 [ 2.771163] do_symlinkat+0x94/0x28c [ 2.771164] __arm64_sys_symlinkat+0x54/0x70 [ 2.771164] invoke_syscall+0x58/0x114 [ 2.771166] el0_svc_common+0x80/0xe0 [ 2.771168] do_el0_svc+0x1c/0x28 [ 2.771169] el0_svc+0x3c/0x70 [ 2.771172] el0t_64_sync_handler+0x68/0xbc [ 2.771173] el0t_64_sync+0x1a8/0x1ac Initialize color matching descriptor for frame-based format to prevent NULL pointer crash by mirroring the handling done for uncompressed and mjpeg formats.
The exploitability of CVE-2025-38558 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2025-38558 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2025-38558, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2025-38558, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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