Kernel panic via null PTDMA descriptor callback
Published Dec 8, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL-pointer dereference in the PTDMA driver in Linux allows attackers to cause a kernel panic during host shutdown on AMD systems. pt_issue_pending() assumes the Submitted queue contains a descriptor and passes NULL to pt_cmd_callback() when both Submitted and Issued queues are empty. The condition requires an AMD system whose PTDMA driver has been exercised, typically during host shutdown, and the reported consequence is a kernel panic rather than data access or modification.
Summary
What happened
NULL-pointer dereference in the PTDMA driver in Linux allows attackers to cause a kernel panic during host shutdown on AMD systems. pt_issue_pending() assumes the Submitted queue contains a descriptor and passes NULL to pt_cmd_callback() when both Submitted and Issued queues are empty. The condition requires an AMD system whose PTDMA driver has been exercised, typically during host shutdown, and the reported consequence is a kernel panic rather than data access or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53755
- Published
- Dec 8, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 8, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=5.18
- Affected versionversion=6fa7e0e836e23e2c758ac3930b040c8abbbf8a6f <5bba023b1241c7af5d40447503a68de282ad5190
- Affected versionversion=6fa7e0e836e23e2c758ac3930b040c8abbbf8a6f <8ae2113702613207efc05453bc9a3df2b992bf45
- Affected versionversion=6fa7e0e836e23e2c758ac3930b040c8abbbf8a6f <928469986171a6f763b34b039427f5667ba3fd50
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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