---
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:

  regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data

  Failing to reset coupling_desc.n_coupled after freeing coupled_rdevs can
  lead 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'
---

## Overview

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

regulator: core: fix NULL dereference on unbind due to stale coupling data

Failing to reset coupling_desc.n_coupled after freeing coupled_rdevs can
lead to NULL pointer dereference when regulators are accessed post-unbind.

This can happen during runtime PM or other regulator operations that rely
on coupling metadata.

For example, on ridesx4, unbinding the 'reg-dummy' platform device triggers
a panic in regulator_lock_recursive() due to stale coupling state.

Ensure n_coupled is set to 0 to prevent access to invalid pointers.

## 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`

## Remediation

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