CVE-2025-37853

Local kernel crash via MES hang_hws access

Published May 9, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to crash the system through the AMD KFD hang_hws debugfs control. The kfd_debugfs_hang_hws path passes an MES-backed device to dqm_debugfs_hang_hws even though MES does not initialize dqm->packet_mgr, causing a NULL access. Reachability requires an AMD GPU using MES and access to debugfs, which is restricted to root by default; successful triggering crashes the host kernel.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.27%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in affected Linux kernel versions allows local users to crash the system through the AMD KFD hang_hws debugfs control. The kfd_debugfs_hang_hws path passes an MES-backed device to dqm_debugfs_hang_hws even though MES does not initialize dqm->packet_mgr, causing a NULL access. Reachability requires an AMD GPU using MES and access to debugfs, which is restricted to root by default; successful triggering crashes the host kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-37853
Published
May 9, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 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=3.19
  2. Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <1a322b330dc0b775d1d7a84e55c752d9451bfe7d
  3. Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <24b9e0e2e6147314c22d821f0542c4dd9a320c40
  4. Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <a36f8d544522a19ef06ed9e84667d154dcb6be52
  5. Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <f84c57906f0fd2185e557d2552b20aa8430a4677
  6. Affected versionversion=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <fe9d0061c413f8fb8c529b18b592b04170850ded

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.19; version=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <1a322b330dc0b775d1d7a84e55c752d9451bfe7d; version=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <24b9e0e2e6147314c22d821f0542c4dd9a320c40; version=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <a36f8d544522a19ef06ed9e84667d154dcb6be52; version=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <f84c57906f0fd2185e557d2552b20aa8430a4677; version=4a488a7ad71401169cecee75dc94bcce642e2c53 <fe9d0061c413f8fb8c529b18b592b04170850ded

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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