CVE-2025-40189
net: usb: lan78xx: Fix lost EEPROM read timeout error(-ETIMEDOUT) in lan78xx_read_raw_eeprom
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: lan78xx: Fix lost EEPROM read timeout error(-ETIMEDOUT) in lan78xx_read_raw_eeprom Syzbot reported read of uninitialized variable BUG with following call stack. lan78xx 8-1:1.0 (unnamed net_device) (uninitialized): EEPROM read operation timeout ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1095 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_reset+0x999/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1095 [inline] lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] lan78xx_reset+0x999/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_bind+0x711/0x1690 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3766 lan78xx_probe+0x225c/0x3310 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:4707 Local variable sig.i.i created at: lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1092 [inline] lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] lan78xx_reset+0x77e/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_bind+0x711/0x1690 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3766 The function lan78xx_read_raw_eeprom failed to properly propagate EEPROM read timeout errors (-ETIMEDOUT). In the fallthrough path, it first attempted to restore the pin configuration for LED outputs and then returned only the status of that restore operation, discarding the original timeout error. As a result, callers could mistakenly treat the data buffer as valid even though the EEPROM read had actually timed out with no data or partial data. To fix this, handle errors in restoring the LED pin configuration separately. If the restore succeeds, return any prior EEPROM timeout error correctly to the caller.
INFO
Published Date :
Nov. 12, 2025, 10:15 p.m.
Last Modified :
Nov. 12, 2025, 10:15 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2025-40189
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the patched version.
- Verify the fix is applied in the system.
- Monitor system logs for similar errors.
- Test EEPROM functionality after update.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2025-40189.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49bdb63ff64469a6de8ea901aef123c75be9bbe7 | |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a72a7c4f675080a324d4c2167bd2314d968279f1 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-40189 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-40189
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2025-40189 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2025-40189 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Nov. 12, 2025
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: lan78xx: Fix lost EEPROM read timeout error(-ETIMEDOUT) in lan78xx_read_raw_eeprom Syzbot reported read of uninitialized variable BUG with following call stack. lan78xx 8-1:1.0 (unnamed net_device) (uninitialized): EEPROM read operation timeout ===================================================== BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1095 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in lan78xx_reset+0x999/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1095 [inline] lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] lan78xx_reset+0x999/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_bind+0x711/0x1690 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3766 lan78xx_probe+0x225c/0x3310 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:4707 Local variable sig.i.i created at: lan78xx_read_eeprom drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1092 [inline] lan78xx_init_mac_address drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:1937 [inline] lan78xx_reset+0x77e/0x2cd0 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3241 lan78xx_bind+0x711/0x1690 drivers/net/usb/lan78xx.c:3766 The function lan78xx_read_raw_eeprom failed to properly propagate EEPROM read timeout errors (-ETIMEDOUT). In the fallthrough path, it first attempted to restore the pin configuration for LED outputs and then returned only the status of that restore operation, discarding the original timeout error. As a result, callers could mistakenly treat the data buffer as valid even though the EEPROM read had actually timed out with no data or partial data. To fix this, handle errors in restoring the LED pin configuration separately. If the restore succeeds, return any prior EEPROM timeout error correctly to the caller. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49bdb63ff64469a6de8ea901aef123c75be9bbe7 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a72a7c4f675080a324d4c2167bd2314d968279f1