CVE-2025-22008

What it actually does

Race condition allows access to a dummy regulator before asynchronous probe completes, resulting in use of an uninitialized regulator object.

Why it matters to the business

Systems may experience unexpected crashes or failures during boot or driver loading, increasing downtime and operational risk especially in environments with many kernel-dependent services; the large number of downstream Linux dependents amplifies exposure.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers concurrent driver probing sequences that race against the dummy regulator initialization, causing the kernel to dereference an incomplete regulator structure and potentially leading to privilege escalation as seen in related kernel flaws exploited by listed threat actors.

How to fix it

Update to fixed kernel versions containing commit 998b1aae22dca87da392ea35f089406cbef6032d; for listed Red Hat Firefox packages apply 0:91.11.0-2.el7_9 or later equivalents; prioritize patching on systems with high ecosystem prevalence.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm kernel source contains the regulator probe check before first use; verify package versions match fixed releases and test driver load sequences under concurrent conditions.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local code execution on target system
2. Craft concurrent module loads that race dummy regulator probe
3. Trigger regulator access before initialization completes
4. Exploit resulting kernel state for escalation or denial of service

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for regulator-related warnings or oops during early boot; correlate with module load timestamps and look for patterns matching other kernel privilege-escalation artifacts listed under threat actors.

What your security team should do

• Apply kernel and package updates immediately given published date and related privilege-escalation activity
• Monitor for similar asynchronous probe races in other subsystems
• Harden boot sequences to reduce timing windows where possible