# CVE-2025-38157: wifi: ath9k_htc: Abort software beacon handling if disabled

Status: published. Published: 2025-07-03. Updated: 2026-11-05.

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

wifi: ath9k_htc: Abort software beacon handling if disabled

A malicious USB device can send a WMI_SWBA_EVENTID event from an
ath9k_htc-managed device before beaconing has been enabled. This causes
a device-by-zero error in the driver, leading to either a crash or an
out of bounds read.

Prevent this by aborting the handling in ath9k_htc_swba() if beacons are
not enabled.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- Linux / Linux: ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < e5ce9df1d68094d37360dbd9b09289d42fa21e54 (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < 0281c19074976ec48f0078d50530b406ddae75bc (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < 7ee3fb6258da8c890a51b514f60d7570dc703605 (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < 40471b23147c86ea3ed97faee79937c618250bd0 (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < 5482ef9875eaa43f0435e14570e1193823de857e (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < ee5ee646385f5846dcbc881389f3c44a197c402a (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < 5a85c21f812e02cb00ca07007d88acdd42d08c46 (affected, git); ≥ 832f6a18fc2aead14954c081ece03b7a5b425f81; < ac4e317a95a1092b5da5b9918b7118759342641c (affected, git). Source: CNA: Linux
- Linux / Linux: 3.0 (affected); ≥ 0; < 3.0 (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.4.295; ≤ 5.4.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.10.239; ≤ 5.10.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.15.186; ≤ 5.15.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.1.142; ≤ 6.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.6.94; ≤ 6.6.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.12.34; ≤ 6.12.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.15.3; ≤ 6.15.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.16; ≤ * (unaffected, original_commit_for_fix). Source: CNA: Linux

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.19% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 8.65%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: Not reported

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5ce9df1d68094d37360dbd9b09289d42fa21e54 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0281c19074976ec48f0078d50530b406ddae75bc (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ee3fb6258da8c890a51b514f60d7570dc703605 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/40471b23147c86ea3ed97faee79937c618250bd0 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5482ef9875eaa43f0435e14570e1193823de857e (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee5ee646385f5846dcbc881389f3c44a197c402a (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a85c21f812e02cb00ca07007d88acdd42d08c46 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac4e317a95a1092b5da5b9918b7118759342641c (CNA: Linux)

- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html (ADP: CVE)

- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html (ADP: CVE)

## Provenance

- CNA: Linux: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38157; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2025-38157; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated Not reported

Revision: cf109ea0e4df4d9b61cf3655834ab010a7649c4374e9d0af675e89d29fc72fb0

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2025-38157

## Agent and API access

Public CVE pages, Markdown, and JSON are free to read without an account or API key.

- Public catalog: https://y2.dev/cve/index.json. Follow nextCursor with the same search, filters, sort, and limit (1–100). A null cursor marks the end.

- WebMCP: search_cve_disclosures, get_cve_disclosure, get_cve_page_markdown, get_y2_cve_access. Available in compatible browsers.

- Cyber API: https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves and https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves/{cveId}.

- Y2 Pro or Elite: create a workspace API key with the intel:cyber scope and send Authorization: Bearer <Y2_API_KEY>. Setup: https://y2.dev/docs/api/create-key.

- x402: Pay per request without an account or API key. Omit Authorization, read the HTTP 402 PAYMENT-REQUIRED challenge, validate its current requirements, and retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE through an authorized payment client. These browser tools never make payments. Guide: https://y2.dev/docs/api/x402.

- OpenAPI: https://y2.dev/api/openapi.yaml. Agent access metadata: https://y2.dev/cve/agent.json.

Collected public records only. Check source status for coverage and freshness.