Host crash via CXL endpoint type confusion
Published Jul 9, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Type confusion in the Linux kernel 6.15 through 6.15.4 allows local users to crash the host by triggering CXL protocol errors. The cxl_cper_handle_prot_err() handler blindly casts pci_get_drvdata() from any non-port PCIe endpoint as CXL driver state, then dereferences the resulting invalid cxlmd pointer. Reachability requires control of an attached or assigned CXL endpoint that can be driven into link errors; the failure produces a kernel oops and can also expose kernel data in the ftrace ring buffer.
Summary
What happened
Type confusion in the Linux kernel 6.15 through 6.15.4 allows local users to crash the host by triggering CXL protocol errors. The cxl_cper_handle_prot_err() handler blindly casts pci_get_drvdata() from any non-port PCIe endpoint as CXL driver state, then dereferences the resulting invalid cxlmd pointer. Reachability requires control of an attached or assigned CXL endpoint that can be driven into link errors; the failure produces a kernel oops and can also expose kernel data in the ftrace ring buffer.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38252
- Published
- Jul 9, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 9, 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=36f257e3b0ba904f5a4e7fa8dafaa60e88cdd28c <3c70ec71abdaf4e4fa48cd8fdfbbd864d78235a8
- Affected versionversion=36f257e3b0ba904f5a4e7fa8dafaa60e88cdd28c <4bcb8dd36e9e3fad6c22862ac5b6993df838309b
- Affected versionversion=6.15
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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