Null Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel Block Devices with THP Disabled

CVE-2025-38442

What is CVE-2025-38442?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel can cause a null pointer dereference panic during boot when a block device has a logical block size greater than the page size and transparent huge pages (THP) are disabled. This flaw may lead to system instability and interrupts the boot process. It is crucial to enable THP to mitigate this issue, as it ensures that such block devices function properly without causing memory access errors.

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