{"id":"CVE-2025-38668","title":"regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data","summary":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nregulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data\n\nFailing to reset coupling_desc.n_coupled after freeing coupled_rdevs can\nlead to NULL pointe…","severity":"none","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8","Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e","Linux 5.3"],"ssvc":{"exploitation":"none","automatable":"no","technicalImpact":"partial","timestamp":"2026-11-05T21:06:15.838556Z"},"published":"2025-08-22","updated":"2026-11-05","sourceUpdated":"2026-11-05T21:12:51.310Z","source":"CVEORG","sourceUrl":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38668","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e"}],"tags":["cve.org"],"epss":0.0017,"epssPercentile":0.06459,"ingestedAt":"2026-11-05T22:38:32.006Z","slug":"CVE-2025-38668","body":"## Overview\n\nIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nregulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data\n\nFailing to reset coupling_desc.n_coupled after freeing coupled_rdevs can\nlead to NULL pointer dereference when regulators are accessed post-unbind.\n\nThis can happen during runtime PM or other regulator operations that rely\non coupling metadata.\n\nFor example, on ridesx4, unbinding the 'reg-dummy' platform device triggers\na panic in regulator_lock_recursive() due to stale coupling state.\n\nEnsure n_coupled is set to 0 to prevent access to invalid pointers.\n\n## Affected\n\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 7574892e259bbb16262ebfb4b65a2054a5e03a49`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 6c49eac796681e250e34156bafb643930310bd4a`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < ca9bef9ba1a6be640c87bf802d2e9e696021576a`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 800a2cfb2df7f96b3fb48910fc595e0215f6b019`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 233d3c54c9620e95193923859ea1d0b0f5d748ca`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < 5d4261dbb3335221fd9c6e69f909ba79ee6663a7`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < d7e59c5fd7a0f5e16e75a30a89ea2c4ab88612b8`\n- `Linux >= d8ca7d184b33af7913c244900df77c6cad6a5590 < ca46946a482238b0cdea459fb82fc837fb36260e`\n- `Linux 5.3`\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}