Kernel crash via undrained GGTT removal workqueue
Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Race condition in the Linux kernel xe driver allows local users to crash the kernel during unsuccessful VF initialization. During managed-device unwind, ggtt_fini_early leaves deferred node-removal work queued after mmio_fini unmaps the MMIO/GSM mapping, so xe_ggtt_set_pte writes through an invalid mapping. Triggering the crash requires root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to bind or unbind a PCI device through sysfs, plus a probe failure outside the attacker's reliable control.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in the Linux kernel xe driver allows local users to crash the kernel during unsuccessful VF initialization. During managed-device unwind, ggtt_fini_early leaves deferred node-removal work queued after mmio_fini unmaps the MMIO/GSM mapping, so xe_ggtt_set_pte writes through an invalid mapping. Triggering the crash requires root or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to bind or unbind a PCI device through sysfs, plus a probe failure outside the attacker's reliable control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38355
- Published
- Jul 25, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 25, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.12
- Affected versionversion=919bb54e989c1edef87e9797be125c94c450fc65 <1b12f8dabbb8fd7d5a2611dd7bc5982ffbc2e5df
- Affected versionversion=919bb54e989c1edef87e9797be125c94c450fc65 <5ab4eba9b26a93605b4f2f2b688d6ba818d7331d
- Affected versionversion=919bb54e989c1edef87e9797be125c94c450fc65 <af2b588abe006bd55ddd358c4c3b87523349c475
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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