Local kernel crash via unset GPU address space
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 5.18 through 5.18.2 allows local users to crash the kernel through the MSM DRM GPU driver. When an MSM GPU operates without an IOMMU, gpu->aspace remains NULL, but adreno_gpu.c and msm_gpu.c pass it to GEM address-space operations without first checking it. Local low-privileged access and an MSM GPU configuration without an IOMMU are required; triggering the dereference can interrupt the entire system.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 5.18 through 5.18.2 allows local users to crash the kernel through the MSM DRM GPU driver. When an MSM GPU operates without an IOMMU, gpu->aspace remains NULL, but adreno_gpu.c and msm_gpu.c pass it to GEM address-space operations without first checking it. Local low-privileged access and an MSM GPU configuration without an IOMMU are required; triggering the dereference can interrupt the entire system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49499
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.18
- Affected versionversion=bc2112583a0b473f5c4ba87c00da84abd5d0b3fd <36a1d1bda77e1851bddfa9cf4e8ada94476dbaff
- Affected versionversion=bc2112583a0b473f5c4ba87c00da84abd5d0b3fd <f09937e80f9bc792965476c9a528f26c8fdc9179
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo