Local kernel deadlock via atomic-context mutex locking
Published Jul 25, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
Improper locking in affected Linux kernel releases from 6.7 allows local users to deadlock systems through ARM FF-A notifications. handle_notif_callbacks acquires a mutex protecting notifier hashtable reads while running in atomic context, where sleeping locks are invalid. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an active ARM FF-A notification path; the reported consequence is a kernel hang, not data access or modification.
Summary
What happened
Improper locking in affected Linux kernel releases from 6.7 allows local users to deadlock systems through ARM FF-A notifications. handle_notif_callbacks acquires a mutex protecting notifier hashtable reads while running in atomic context, where sleeping locks are invalid. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and an active ARM FF-A notification path; the reported consequence is a kernel hang, not data access or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38388
- Published
- Jul 25, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-667, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
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=6.7
- Affected versionversion=e0573444edbf4ee7e3c191d3d08a4ccbd26628be <31405510a48dcf054abfa5b7b8d70ce1b27d1f13
- Affected versionversion=e0573444edbf4ee7e3c191d3d08a4ccbd26628be <8986f8f61b482c0e6efd28f0b2423d9640c20eb1
- Affected versionversion=e0573444edbf4ee7e3c191d3d08a4ccbd26628be <9ca7a421229bbdfbe2e1e628cff5cfa782720a10
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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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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