Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: lan78xx: Fix lost...
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 timeoutBUG: 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.
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-40189? CVE-2025-40189 is a unknown-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-40189? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-40189 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-40189 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-40189 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-40189 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.