CVE-2025-38521

Local kernel crash via skipped GPU clock resume

Published Aug 16, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Denial of service in Linux 6.8 through 6.16-rc5 allows local users to crash the kernel by hard-resetting an Imagination GPU. During reset, pvr_power_device_resume() can be skipped when forced runtime-PM calls mishandle the usage state, leaving GPU clocks disabled before register access. Reachability requires local access to a system using the affected Imagination DRM driver and GPU; triggering the fault interrupts the host kernel.

CVSS severity7.1
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Linux 6.8 through 6.16-rc5 allows local users to crash the kernel by hard-resetting an Imagination GPU. During reset, pvr_power_device_resume() can be skipped when forced runtime-PM calls mishandle the usage state, leaving GPU clocks disabled before register access. Reachability requires local access to a system using the affected Imagination DRM driver and GPU; triggering the fault interrupts the host kernel.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-38521
Published
Aug 16, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-668, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 16, 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=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <9f852d301f642223c4798f3c13ba15e91165d078
  3. Affected versionversion=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <d38376b3ee48d073c64e75e150510d7e6b4b04f7
  4. Affected versionversion=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <e066cc6e0f094ca2120f1928d126d56f686cd73e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <9f852d301f642223c4798f3c13ba15e91165d078; version=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <d38376b3ee48d073c64e75e150510d7e6b4b04f7; version=cc1aeedb98ad347c06ff59e991b2f94dfb4c565d <e066cc6e0f094ca2120f1928d126d56f686cd73e

Published CVSS scores

7.1NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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-668Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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