CVE-2025-40162
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's AMD SoundWire utilities in the ASoC subsystem. In the sdw_utils code, devm_kasprintf() may return NULL on memory allocation failure. However, a debug message attempts to print the cpus->dai_name value before the NULL check is performed. If memory allocation fails, this results in a NULL pointer dereference. While this typically requires memory pressure to trigger, it could cause a kernel crash during audio device initialization.
Statement
This vulnerability requires memory pressure conditions to trigger the allocation failure. The impact is limited to denial of service during audio subsystem initialization on systems with AMD SoundWire audio hardware. The CVSS score reflects the low availability impact and the difficulty of triggering the condition.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, prevent the snd_soc_amd_sdw_mach module from being loaded if AMD SoundWire audio functionality is not required. See https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for instructions on how to blacklist a kernel module.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 4 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
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