---
id: CVE-2025-38656
title: 'wifi: iwlwifi: Fix error code in iwl_op_mode_dvm_start()'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: iwlwifi: Fix error code in iwl_op_mode_dvm_start()

  Preserve the error code if iwl_setup_deferred_work() fails.  The current
  code returns ERR_PTR(0) (which is NUL…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= ca980f1911a7144d451d1c31298ab8507c6bd88f <
    5c432da1ee191e9f7830dd516456706063d7bec3
  - >-
    Linux >= 7dd6350307af6521b6240b295c93b7eec4daebe6 <
    f95598a133a905fd937354ad902773d05593b8b9
  - >-
    Linux >= c0e43c3f6c0a79381b468574c241065998412b7c <
    991e2066f6009d3cb898413058c62dbcc92bd6d2
  - >-
    Linux >= 70a1b527eaea9430b1bd87de59f3b9f6bd225701 <
    1d068272c21d886d06526454b68368100ba0a720
  - >-
    Linux >= 90a0d9f339960448a3acc1437a46730f975efd6a <
    cf80c02a9fdb6c5bc8508beb6a0f6a1294fc32f6
  - Linux c80832d445653baba5ac80cd2c2637c437ac881b
  - Linux b398120fbe0acfef60b16f6a0f69902d385d7728
  - Linux 2e9f85ee3b46453a2f250a57d3a9f10c70c71202
  - Linux 6663c52608d8d8727bf1911e6d9218069ba1c85e
  - Linux >= 5.4.297 < 5.5
  - Linux >= 5.10.241 < 5.11
  - Linux >= 5.15.190 < 5.16
  - Linux >= 6.1.148 < 6.2
  - Linux >= 6.6.102 < 6.6.160
  - Linux >= 6.12.42 < 6.12.114
published: '2025-08-22'
updated: '2026-10-21'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-21T12:37:12.525Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38656'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c432da1ee191e9f7830dd516456706063d7bec3'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f95598a133a905fd937354ad902773d05593b8b9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/991e2066f6009d3cb898413058c62dbcc92bd6d2'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d068272c21d886d06526454b68368100ba0a720'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf80c02a9fdb6c5bc8508beb6a0f6a1294fc32f6'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00208
epssPercentile: 0.10814
ingestedAt: '2026-10-21T12:48:53.700Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: iwlwifi: Fix error code in iwl_op_mode_dvm_start()

Preserve the error code if iwl_setup_deferred_work() fails.  The current
code returns ERR_PTR(0) (which is NULL) on this path.  I believe the
missing error code potentially leads to a use after free involving
debugfs.

## Affected

- `Linux >= ca980f1911a7144d451d1c31298ab8507c6bd88f < 5c432da1ee191e9f7830dd516456706063d7bec3`
- `Linux >= 7dd6350307af6521b6240b295c93b7eec4daebe6 < f95598a133a905fd937354ad902773d05593b8b9`
- `Linux >= c0e43c3f6c0a79381b468574c241065998412b7c < 991e2066f6009d3cb898413058c62dbcc92bd6d2`
- `Linux >= 70a1b527eaea9430b1bd87de59f3b9f6bd225701 < 1d068272c21d886d06526454b68368100ba0a720`
- `Linux >= 90a0d9f339960448a3acc1437a46730f975efd6a < cf80c02a9fdb6c5bc8508beb6a0f6a1294fc32f6`
- `Linux c80832d445653baba5ac80cd2c2637c437ac881b`
- `Linux b398120fbe0acfef60b16f6a0f69902d385d7728`
- `Linux 2e9f85ee3b46453a2f250a57d3a9f10c70c71202`
- `Linux 6663c52608d8d8727bf1911e6d9218069ba1c85e`
- `Linux >= 5.4.297 < 5.5`
- `Linux >= 5.10.241 < 5.11`
- `Linux >= 5.15.190 < 5.16`
- `Linux >= 6.1.148 < 6.2`
- `Linux >= 6.6.102 < 6.6.160`
- `Linux >= 6.12.42 < 6.12.114`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.