Kernel panic via premature IOPF queue removal
Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.16 allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during Intel VT-d SVA unbinding. The detach path removes a device from its IOMMU IOPF queue before intel_pasid_tear_down_entry() blocks new faults and flushes pending faults, leaving queued work to access freed state. Reaching the fault requires local access, an Intel VT-d device using Shared Virtual Addressing, and pending I/O page faults when the last IOPF-capable domain detaches.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel 6.16 allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during Intel VT-d SVA unbinding. The detach path removes a device from its IOMMU IOPF queue before intel_pasid_tear_down_entry() blocks new faults and flushes pending faults, leaving queued work to access freed state. Reaching the fault requires local access, an Intel VT-d device using Shared Virtual Addressing, and pending I/O page faults when the last IOPF-capable domain detaches.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38594
- Published
- Aug 19, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 19, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=17fce9d2336d952b95474248303e5e7d9777f2e0 <c68332b7ee893292bba6e87d31ef2080c066c65d
- Affected versionversion=17fce9d2336d952b95474248303e5e7d9777f2e0 <f0b9d31c6edd50a6207489cd1bd4ddac814b9cd2
- Affected versionversion=6.16
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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