NULL Pointer DereferenceWeakness · CWE-476

CVE-2025-8090

MEDIUM · 6.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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
Null pointer dereference in the MsgRegisterEvent() system call could allow an attacker with local access and code execution abilities to crash the QNX Neutrino kernel.

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 · high confidence

A null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the MsgRegisterEvent() system call of the QNX Neutrino kernel. An attacker with local access and the ability to execute code can trigger the dereference of a null pointer, causing a kernel crash and resulting in a denial of service condition.

MitigationApply any vendor-supplied patches for QNX Neutrino. Until a patch is available, restrict local access to trusted personnel only and minimize the attack surface by disabling unnecessary services that could invoke MsgRegisterEvent().

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm QNX Neutrino is running
    Run 'uname -a' or 'uname -s' to identify the operating system. Look for 'QNX' in the output.
    Affected if The system is not running QNX Neutrino - this CVE does not apply to other operating systems.
  2. Identify the QNX Neutrino kernel version
    Run 'uname -v' or check '/usr/bin/version' if available. Compare the version number against any affected version ranges provided by QNX.
    Affected if The installed version falls within an affected version range (if such ranges become known).
  3. Verify MsgRegisterEvent() system call availability
    Attempt to call MsgRegisterEvent() via a small test program or check system call tables if accessible. On QNX, you can examine /proc/trace or use 'showpio' kernel debugger hints.
    Affected if The system call exists and is callable - the vulnerability is present in the kernel.
  4. Assess local access control scope
    Review user accounts and group memberships via 'id', 'getent passwd', and 'getent group'. Determine which local users have shell or code execution privileges.
    Affected if Untrusted or low-privilege local users can execute code - they could trigger the null pointer dereference.
  5. Check for services invoking MsgRegisterEvent()
    Review running processes and services. Use 'pidin' or 'proctree' to list processes. Check configuration files in /etc or /boot for services that may call MsgRegisterEvent().
    Affected if Services or processes that use MsgRegisterEvent() are running - they could be vectors for exploitation.

A user is affected if their system runs QNX Neutrino with an affected kernel version AND has the MsgRegisterEvent() system call available to local users who can execute code.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply any vendor-supplied patches for QNX Neutrino. Until a patch is available, restrict local access to trusted personnel only and minimize the attack surface by disabling unnecessary services that could invoke MsgRegisterEvent().

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-8090 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data