Kernel memory corruption via unlocked HMM page dereference
Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.10 through 6.14-rc5 allows local users with Intel Xe render-node access to corrupt kernel memory. xe_hmm_userptr_populate_range() builds an SG table from HMM page pointers without holding the notifier lock and validating its sequence, then dereferences and dirties pages after their ownership can change. A low-privileged local process must access /dev/dri/renderD* and race a userptr bind or GPU fault against unmapping or migration, enabling kernel memory disclosure, corruption, or a panic.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.10 through 6.14-rc5 allows local users with Intel Xe render-node access to corrupt kernel memory. xe_hmm_userptr_populate_range() builds an SG table from HMM page pointers without holding the notifier lock and validating its sequence, then dereferences and dirties pages after their ownership can change. A low-privileged local process must access /dev/dri/renderD* and race a userptr bind or GPU fault against unmapping or migration, enabling kernel memory disclosure, corruption, or a panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-21939
- Published
- Apr 1, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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=6.10
- Affected versionversion=81e058a3e7fd8593d076b4f26f7b8bb49f1d61e3 <0a98219bcc961edd3388960576e4353e123b4a51
- Affected versionversion=81e058a3e7fd8593d076b4f26f7b8bb49f1d61e3 <2a24c98f0e4cc994334598d4f3a851972064809d
- Affected versionversion=81e058a3e7fd8593d076b4f26f7b8bb49f1d61e3 <f9326f529da7298a95643c3267f1c0fdb0db55eb
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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