CVE-2025-40034: PCI/AER: Avoid NULL pointer dereference in aer_ratelimit()

Published Oct 28, 2025
·
Updated

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

PCI/AER: Avoid NULL pointer dereference in aerratelimit()

When platform firmware supplies error information to the OS, e.g., via the ACPI APEI GHES mechanism, it may identify an error source device that doesn't advertise an AER Capability and therefore dev->aerinfo, which contains AER stats and ratelimiting data, is NULL.

pcidevaerstatsincr() already checks dev->aerinfo for NULL, but aerratelimit() did not, leading to NULL pointer dereferences like this one from the URL below:

{1}[Hardware Error]: Hardware error from APEI Generic Hardware Error Source: 0 {1}[Hardware Error]: event severity: corrected {1}[Hardware Error]: deviceid: 0000:00:00.0 {1}[Hardware Error]: vendorid: 0x8086, deviceid: 0x2020 {1}[Hardware Error]: aercorstatus: 0x00001000, aercormask: 0x00002000 BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000264 RIP: 0010:ratelimit+0xc/0x1b0 pciprintaer+0x141/0x360 aerrecoverworkfunc+0xb5/0x130

[8086:2020] is an Intel "Sky Lake-E DMI3 Registers" device that claims to be a Root Port but does not advertise an AER Capability.

Add a NULL check in aerratelimit() to avoid the NULL pointer dereference. Note that this also prevents ratelimiting these events from GHES.

[bhelgaas: add crash details to commit log]

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Linux kernel

Event History

Oct 28, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·11:48 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·11:48 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·12:05 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·12:15 PM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-40034?

CVE-2025-40034 has a severity rating of Medium due to the potential for a NULL pointer dereference.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-40034?

To fix CVE-2025-40034, ensure that your Linux kernel is updated to the latest version that includes the patch for this vulnerability.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2025-40034?

CVE-2025-40034 affects systems running Linux kernel versions prior to the patch release that addresses the NULL pointer dereference issue.

4

What are the potential impacts of CVE-2025-40034?

The potential impacts of CVE-2025-40034 include system crashes or instability due to the NULL pointer dereference in the PCI/AER handling.

5

When was CVE-2025-40034 disclosed?

CVE-2025-40034 was disclosed as part of the ongoing updates to the Linux kernel aimed at improving system security.

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