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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-38486

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.15.8 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: soundwire: Revert "soundwire: qcom: Add set_channel_map api support" This reverts commit 7796c97df6b1b2206681a07f3c80f6023a6593d5. This patch broke Dragonboard 845c (sdm845). I see: Unexpected kernel BRK exception at EL1 Internal error: BRK handler: 00000000f20003e8 [#1] SMP pc : qcom_swrm_set_channel_map+0x7c/0x80 [soundwire_qcom] lr : snd_soc_dai_set_channel_map+0x34/0x78 Call trace: qcom_swrm_set_channel_map+0x7c/0x80 [soundwire_qcom] (P) sdm845_dai_init+0x18c/0x2e0 [snd_soc_sdm845] snd_soc_link_init+0x28/0x6c snd_soc_bind_card+0x5f4/0xb0c snd_soc_register_card+0x148/0x1a4 devm_snd_soc_register_card+0x50/0xb0 sdm845_snd_platform_probe+0x124/0x148 [snd_soc_sdm845] platform_probe+0x6c/0xd0 really_probe+0xc0/0x2a4 __driver_probe_device+0x7c/0x130 driver_probe_device+0x40/0x118 __device_attach_driver+0xc4/0x108 bus_for_each_drv+0x8c/0xf0 __device_attach+0xa4/0x198 device_initial_probe+0x18/0x28 bus_probe_device+0xb8/0xbc deferred_probe_work_func+0xac/0xfc process_one_work+0x244/0x658 worker_thread+0x1b4/0x360 kthread+0x148/0x228 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 Kernel panic - not syncing: BRK handler: Fatal exception Dan has also reported following issues with the original patch https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/ Bug #1: The zeroeth element of ctrl->pconfig[] is supposed to be unused. We start counting at 1. However this code sets ctrl->pconfig[0].ch_mask = 128. Bug #2: There are SLIM_MAX_TX_PORTS (16) elements in tx_ch[] array but only QCOM_SDW_MAX_PORTS + 1 (15) in the ctrl->pconfig[] array so it corrupts memory like Yongqin Liu pointed out. Bug 3: Like Jie Gan pointed out, it erases all the tx information with the rx information.

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:>= 6.15, < 6.15.8= 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 6.15.8 or later
Fixed in 6.15.8
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 6.15.8 or later, or 6.16.1+

  1. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.15.8 or later, or to a newer stable release such as 6.16.1 or later
  2. Verify the kernel version after upgrade using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
  3. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel

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-2025-38486 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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