Kernel code execution via dangling HDCP connector
Published May 20, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the AMD display HDCP code in affected Linux kernels allows local users to execute code with kernel privileges. amdgpu_dm_hdcp.c retains amdgpu_dm_connector pointers without taking kref references, so dock removal frees objects that HDCP later dereferences. An unprivileged local account on a Raven-or-later AMD GPU system can reach the path during USB-C MST dock topology changes, causing a graphics failure, kernel panic, or kernel code execution.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the AMD display HDCP code in affected Linux kernels allows local users to execute code with kernel privileges. amdgpu_dm_hdcp.c retains amdgpu_dm_connector pointers without taking kref references, so dock removal frees objects that HDCP later dereferences. An unprivileged local account on a Raven-or-later AMD GPU system can reach the path during USB-C MST dock topology changes, causing a graphics failure, kernel panic, or kernel code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37903
- Published
- May 20, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 20, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.5
- Affected versionversion=da3fd7ac0bcf372cc57117bdfcd725cca7ef975a <3a782a83d130ceac6c98a87639ddd89640bff486
- Affected versionversion=da3fd7ac0bcf372cc57117bdfcd725cca7ef975a <bbc66abcd297be67e3d835276e21e6fdc65205a6
- Affected versionversion=da3fd7ac0bcf372cc57117bdfcd725cca7ef975a <be593d9d91c5a3a363d456b9aceb71029aeb3f1d
- Affected versionversion=da3fd7ac0bcf372cc57117bdfcd725cca7ef975a <dd329f04dda35a66e0c9ed462ba91bd5f2c8be70
- Affected versionversion=da3fd7ac0bcf372cc57117bdfcd725cca7ef975a <e25139c4aa5621f2db8e86688c33546cdd885e42
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
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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