CVE-2025-21985

Local kernel-memory corruption via unchecked display indices

Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux AMD display driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through atomic display configuration. The DML2 translation helpers use stream locations up to 5 against a four-entry encoder map and permit 6 as an index into a six-entry location array. An unprivileged active graphical session with an AMD GPU and at least five streams or planes can repeatedly reach the flaw, causing disclosure, kernel heap corruption, or a display hang.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds access in the Linux AMD display driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through atomic display configuration. The DML2 translation helpers use stream locations up to 5 against a four-entry encoder map and permit 6 as an index into a six-entry location array. An unprivileged active graphical session with an AMD GPU and at least five streams or planes can repeatedly reach the flaw, causing disclosure, kernel heap corruption, or a display hang.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21985
Published
Apr 1, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-125, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

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

  1. Affected versionversion=4.15
  2. Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <36793d90d76f667d26c6dd025571481ee0c96abc
  3. Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <8adbb2a98b00926315fd513b5fe2596b5716b82d
  4. Affected versionversion=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <9aedc776b11038f04f4641241bb7e877781e4aa4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.15; version=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <36793d90d76f667d26c6dd025571481ee0c96abc; version=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <8adbb2a98b00926315fd513b5fe2596b5716b82d; version=4562236b3bc0a28aeb6ee93b2d8a849a4c4e1c7c <9aedc776b11038f04f4641241bb7e877781e4aa4

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-125Out-of-bounds Read
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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