CVE-2025-40223

CVE-2025-40223 is a security vulnerability that is still awaiting full analysis and scoring. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: most: usb: Fix use-after-free in hdm_disconnect hdm_disconnect() calls most_deregister_interface(), which eventually unregisters the MOST interface device with device_unregister(iface->dev). If that drops the last reference, the device core may call release_mdev() immediately while hdm_disconnect() is still executing. The old code also freed several mdev-owned allocations in hdm_disconnect() and then performed additional put_device() calls. Depending on refcount order, this could lead to use-after-free or double-free when release_mdev() ran (or when unregister paths also performed puts). Fix by moving the frees of mdev-owned allocations into release_mdev(), so they happen exactly once when the device is truly released, and by dropping the extra put_device() calls in hdm_disconnect() that are redundant after device_unregister() and most_deregister_interface(). This addresses the KASAN slab-use-after-free reported by syzbot in hdm_disconnect(). See report and stack traces in the bug link below.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-40223?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: most: usb: Fix use-after-free in hdm_disconnect hdm_disconnect() calls most_deregister_interface(), which eventually unregisters the MOST interface device with device_unregister(iface->dev). If that drops the last reference, the device core may call release_mdev() immediately while hdm_disconnect() is still executing. The old code also freed several mdev-owned allocations in hdm_disconnect() and then performed additional put_device() calls. Depending on refcount order, this could lead to use-after-free or double-free when release_mdev() ran (or when unregister paths also performed puts). Fix by moving the frees of mdev-owned allocations into release_mdev(), so they happen exactly once when the device is truly released, and by dropping the extra put_device() calls in hdm_disconnect() that are redundant after device_unregister() and most_deregister_interface(). This addresses the KASAN slab-use-after-free reported by syzbot in hdm_disconnect(). See report and stack traces in the bug link below.
Is CVE-2025-40223 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (8th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-40223?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-40223 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-40223 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-201236.
When was CVE-2025-40223 published?
CVE-2025-40223 was published on 2025-12-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References