LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2025-39790: bus: mhi: host: Detect events pointing to unexpected TREs

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bus: mhi: host: Detect events pointing to unexpected TREs When a remote device sends a completion event to the host, it contains a pointer to the consumed TRE. The host uses this pointer to process all of the TREs between it and the host's local copy of the ring's read pointer. This works when processing completion for chained transactions, but can lead to nasty results if the device sends an event for a single-element transaction with a read pointer that is multiple elements ahead of the host's read pointer. For instance, if the host accesses an event ring while the device is updating it, the pointer inside of the event might still point to an old TRE. If the host uses the channel's xfer_cb() to directly free the buffer pointed to by the TRE, the buffer will be double-freed. This behavior was observed on an ep that used upstream EP stack without 'commit 6f18d174b73d ("bus: mhi: ep: Update read pointer only after buffer is written")'. Where the device updated the events ring pointer before updating the event contents, so it left a window where the host was able to access the stale data the event pointed to, before the device had the chance to update them. The usual pattern was that the host received an event pointing to a TRE that is not immediately after the last processed one, so it got treated as if it was a chained transaction, processing all of the TREs in between the two read pointers. This commit aims to harden the host by ensuring transactions where the event points to a TRE that isn't local_rp + 1 are chained. [mani: added stable tag and reworded commit message]

HighCVSS 8.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A faulty or out-of-sync MHI-connected device can make a Linux host process the wrong transfer entries. This may double-free memory, potentially crashing the system or corrupting kernel memory. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are possible, but exposure requires the affected MHI host path and device interaction.

Executive priority

Treat as a high-priority platform maintenance issue on systems that actually use MHI host functionality. Expedite remediation where endpoints are untrusted, field-replaceable, or operationally critical. Systems without the affected driver path are unlikely to be exposed, so asset-specific validation should precede emergency action.

Technical view

The Linux MHI host driver trusted completion-event pointers that could reference an unexpected transfer ring element. Stale or improperly ordered device events could be mistaken for chained transactions, causing intervening entries to be processed and buffers freed twice. The kernel fix validates that non-sequential completion pointers correspond to chained transactions.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux systems using the affected MHI host functionality with a connected remote endpoint. The supplied record identifies affected Linux versions beginning at 5.7 and multiple maintained branches, but its version presentation is ambiguous. Confirm exact vulnerable and fixed builds through kernel or distribution advisories.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector indicates local attack proximity, low complexity, no required privileges, and no user interaction. A malicious, faulty, or racing MHI endpoint may trigger the condition. The supplied bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV, and the cited information does not establish active exploitation.

Researcher notes

The observed failure involved an endpoint updating its event-ring pointer before event contents, exposing stale TRE data. Host processing could advance across unintended entries and invoke transfer callbacks that free buffers twice. The hardening rejects unexpected TRE progression unless the transaction is chained. Public evidence supplied here does not demonstrate exploitability beyond the described memory-safety impact.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply the appropriate fixed Linux kernel supplied by the system or device vendor.
  • Check Linux stable, distribution, and appliance advisories for exact patched build numbers.
  • Restrict untrusted or unnecessary MHI-connected devices where operationally feasible.
  • Prioritize affected systems whose MHI endpoints cross meaningful trust boundaries.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems using the Linux MHI host driver and identify attached endpoints.
  • Record running kernel versions, distribution revisions, and vendor firmware baselines.
  • Compare each build against applicable Linux stable or distribution remediation guidance.
  • Review kernel logs and crash records for MHI-related faults or memory-corruption symptoms.
  • After updating, confirm the patched kernel is running following reboot.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
10

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-39790 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.4 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

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

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
9Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.4CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.55.9Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

8.4High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-39790Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CVECVE Program Container
siemens-SADPADP container
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8, 1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8, 1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8, 1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8, 1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8, 1d3173a3bae7039b765a0956e3e4bf846dbaacb8unaffected
LinuxLinux5.7, 0, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, 6.12.44, 6.16.4, 6.17affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.