Local kernel crash via unchecked reset callback
Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Hantro VPU driver allows local users on affected i.MX8MM/N/P systems to crash the kernel. The Hantro G2 reset path invokes its reset callback without checking whether the platform defines that operation, dereferencing NULL where genpd handles VPU reset instead. Low-privileged local access and an affected NXP i.MX8MM, i.MX8MN, or i.MX8MP VPU configuration are required; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Hantro VPU driver allows local users on affected i.MX8MM/N/P systems to crash the kernel. The Hantro G2 reset path invokes its reset callback without checking whether the platform defines that operation, dereferencing NULL where genpd handles VPU reset instead. Low-privileged local access and an affected NXP i.MX8MM, i.MX8MN, or i.MX8MP VPU configuration are required; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52850
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 2024CVE 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.18
- Affected versionversion=6971efb70ac3e43d19bf33ef5f83bea0271831ee <24c06295f28335ced3aad53dd4b0a0bae7b9b100
- Affected versionversion=6971efb70ac3e43d19bf33ef5f83bea0271831ee <64f55cebb4339ae771e9e7f3f42bee2489e2fa00
- Affected versionversion=6971efb70ac3e43d19bf33ef5f83bea0271831ee <66b4c5f980d741f3a47e4b65eeaf2797f2d59294
- Affected versionversion=6971efb70ac3e43d19bf33ef5f83bea0271831ee <88d4b23a629ebd34f682f770cb6c2116c851f7b8
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.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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