CVE-2025-38537 Details
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.
A deadlock vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's handling of generic physical (PHY) devices and their associated LED management. This issue arises when a generic PHY device is probed or removed, particularly if it has an 'leds' subnode in its device tree representation. The problem occurs because the generic PHY driver attempts to register or unregister LEDs, which can lead to a deadlock scenario. This vulnerability is present in the Linux kernel stable tree and affects the PHY LED management functionality, which is not supported by generic PHYs.
The vulnerability has been addressed in the Linux kernel. Users should upgrade to the latest version where this issue has been fixed.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
No SSVC data is available for this CVE.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
By selecting these links, you will be leaving this site. These are references gathered from the official CVE record and are not endorsed by Volerion.
| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75e1b2079ef0653a2f7aa69be515d86b7faf1908 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec158d05eaa91b2809cab65f8068290e3c05ebdd | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0f2b992d8185a0366be951685e08643aae17d6d | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd6493533af9e5d73d0d42ff2a8ded978a701dc6 | kernel.org | Patch |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NVD-CWE-noinfo | Insufficient Information to Classify Weakness | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| linux linux kernel | >= 6.4, < 6.6.100 >= 6.7, < 6.12.40 >= 6.13, < 6.15.8 6.16 rc1 6.16 rc2 6.16 rc3 6.16 rc4 6.16 rc5 6.16 rc6 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Aug 16, 2025 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |