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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-38253

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.12.36 / 6.15.5 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: wacom: fix crash in wacom_aes_battery_handler() Commit fd2a9b29dc9c ("HID: wacom: Remove AES power_supply after extended inactivity") introduced wacom_aes_battery_handler() which is scheduled as a delayed work (aes_battery_work). In wacom_remove(), aes_battery_work is not canceled. Consequently, if the device is removed while aes_battery_work is still pending, then hard crashes or "Oops: general protection fault..." are experienced when wacom_aes_battery_handler() is finally called. E.g., this happens with built-in USB devices after resume from hibernate when aes_battery_work was still pending at the time of hibernation. So, take care to cancel aes_battery_work in wacom_remove().

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.8, < 6.12.36>= 6.13, < 6.15.5= 6.16

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.12.36 / 6.15.5 or later
Fixed in 6.12.366.15.5
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

6.12.36, 6.15.5, or any stable release after 6.16

  1. Identify the currently running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Determine which kernel upgrade path applies: if running 6.8.x to 6.12.x, upgrade to 6.12.36 or later; if running 6.13.x to 6.15.x, upgrade to 6.15.5 or later; if running 6.16.x, upgrade to a version after 6.16 that includes the fix
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel using the distribution's package manager (e.g., `apt update && apt upgrade` for Debian/Ubuntu, `yum update` for RHEL/CentOS, or `dnf upgrade` for Fedora)
  4. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
  5. Verify the new kernel version is running with `uname -r`
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce changes to other drivers or system behavior; ensure compatibility with system requirements before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-38253 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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