CVE-2025-21911

Graphics processing hang via recursive fence locking

Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in the PowerVR DRM scheduler in Linux allows local users to hang graphics processing through fence release. The fence release path runs scheduler-queue cleanup synchronously while a DMA-BUF reservation mutex is held, and pvr_gem_object_vunmap then tries to acquire another mutex of the same class. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged access to the affected PowerVR DRM path; the resulting recursive lock can deadlock graphics work without affecting confidentiality or integrity.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in the PowerVR DRM scheduler in Linux allows local users to hang graphics processing through fence release. The fence release path runs scheduler-queue cleanup synchronously while a DMA-BUF reservation mutex is held, and pvr_gem_object_vunmap then tries to acquire another mutex of the same class. Reaching the flaw requires local low-privileged access to the affected PowerVR DRM path; the resulting recursive lock can deadlock graphics work without affecting confidentiality or integrity.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21911
Published
Apr 1, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <9bd8b8d34cf4efba18766d64f817c819ed1bbde7
  3. Affected versionversion=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <d993ae7360923efd6ade43a32043459a121c28c1
  4. Affected versionversion=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <df1a1ed5e1bdd9cc13148e0e5549f5ebcf76cf13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <9bd8b8d34cf4efba18766d64f817c819ed1bbde7; version=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <d993ae7360923efd6ade43a32043459a121c28c1; version=eaf01ee5ba28b97f96a3d3eec4c5fbfb37ee4cde <df1a1ed5e1bdd9cc13148e0e5549f5ebcf76cf13

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-667Improper Locking
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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

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Your stack

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