Go to homepageCyberStrike

Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.3k
Sign inDownload

CVE-2025-38509

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: reject VHT opmode for unsupported channel widths VHT operating mode notifications are not defined for channel w…

Published Aug 16, 2025EPSS 0.13%

Overview

CVE-2025-38509 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

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

wifi: mac80211: reject VHT opmode for unsupported channel widths

VHT operating mode notifications are not defined for channel widths

below 20 MHz. In particular, 5 MHz and 10 MHz are not valid under the

VHT specification and must be rejected.

Without this check, malformed notifications using these widths may

reach ieee80211_chan_width_to_rx_bw(), leading to a WARN_ON due to

invalid input. This issue was reported by syzbot.

Reject these unsupported widths early in sta_link_apply_parameters()

when opmode_notif is used. The accepted set includes 20, 40, 80, 160,

and 80+80 MHz, which are valid for VHT. While 320 MHz is not defined

for VHT, it is allowed to avoid rejecting HE or EHT clients that may

still send a VHT opmode notification.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/18eca59a04500b68a90e0c5c873f97c9d1ea2bfaRefgit.kernel.org/stable/c/58fcb1b4287ce38850402bb2bb16d09bf77b91d9

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-38509?

CVE-2025-38509 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on August 16, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-38509?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-38509?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2025-38509?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-38509 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

Related MEDIUM CVEs from 2025

View all
Browse by year2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999