CVE-2025-23161

Service interrupt via sleeping VMD configuration lock

Published May 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in the Linux kernel VMD driver allows local users to interrupt kernel operation through PCI configuration-space access. The vmd_dev::cfg_lock remains a sleeping spinlock_t on PREEMPT_RT, yet vmd_pci_read and write acquire it with interrupts disabled. Reachability requires a PREEMPT_RT kernel with the VMD driver in use and low-privileged access to PCI configuration data; the observed consequence is an invalid-context kernel BUG.

CVSS severity3.3
Low
EPSS probability0.14%
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 Linux kernel VMD driver allows local users to interrupt kernel operation through PCI configuration-space access. The vmd_dev::cfg_lock remains a sleeping spinlock_t on PREEMPT_RT, yet vmd_pci_read and write acquire it with interrupts disabled. Reachability requires a PREEMPT_RT kernel with the VMD driver in use and low-privileged access to PCI configuration data; the observed consequence is an invalid-context kernel BUG.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-23161
Published
May 1, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <13e5148f70e81991acbe0bab5b1b50ba699116e7
  2. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <18056a48669a040bef491e63b25896561ee14d90
  3. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <20d0a9062c031068fa39f725a32f182b709b5525
  4. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <2358046ead696ca5c7c628d6c0e2c6792619a3e5
  5. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <5c3cfcf0b4bf43530788b08a8eaf7896ec567484
  6. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <c250262d6485ca333e9821f85b07eb383ec546b1
  7. Affected versionversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <c2968c812339593ac6e2bdd5cc3adabe3f05fa53
  8. Affected versionversion=4.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <13e5148f70e81991acbe0bab5b1b50ba699116e7; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <18056a48669a040bef491e63b25896561ee14d90; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <20d0a9062c031068fa39f725a32f182b709b5525; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <2358046ead696ca5c7c628d6c0e2c6792619a3e5; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <5c3cfcf0b4bf43530788b08a8eaf7896ec567484; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <c250262d6485ca333e9821f85b07eb383ec546b1; version=185a383ada2e7794b0e82e040223e741b24d2bf8 <c2968c812339593ac6e2bdd5cc3adabe3f05fa53; version=4.5

Published CVSS scores

3.3OracleCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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

T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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