CVE-2025-21939: drm/xe/hmm: Don't dereference struct page pointers without notifier lock
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/xe/hmm: Don't dereference struct page pointers without notifier lock
The pnfs that we obtain from hmm_range_fault() point to pages that
we don't have a reference on, and the guarantee that they are still
in the cpu page-tables is that the notifier lock must be held and the
notifier seqno is still valid.
So while building the sg table and marking the pages accesses / dirty
we need to hold this lock with a validated seqno.
However, the lock is reclaim tainted which makes
sg_alloc_table_from_pages_segment() unusable, since it internally
allocates memory.
Instead build the sg-table manually. For the non-iommu case
this might lead to fewer coalesces, but if that's a problem it can
be fixed up later in the resource cursor code. For the iommu case,
the whole sg-table may still be coalesced to a single contigous
device va region.
This avoids marking pages that we don't own dirty and accessed, and
it also avoid dereferencing struct pages that we don't own.
v2:
- Use assert to check whether hmm pfns are valid (Matthew Auld)
- Take into account that large pages may cross range boundaries
(Matthew Auld)
v3:
- Don't unnecessarily check for a non-freed sg-table. (Matthew Auld)
- Add a missing up_read() in an error path. (Matthew Auld)
(cherry picked from commit ea3e66d280ce2576664a862693d1da8fd324c317)
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel flaw in the Xe graphics memory-management path can access page metadata without the required synchronization. A local, low-privileged user may be able to trigger memory corruption affecting confidentiality, integrity, or availability. This is not described as remotely exploitable.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority targeted kernel update, especially for shared workstations, development hosts, and systems running untrusted local workloads. It is less urgent than an internet-exploitable flaw, but the stated potential impact spans data exposure, modification, and system failure.
Technical view
The drm/xe HMM implementation used page pointers returned by hmm_range_fault() without holding the notifier lock and validating its sequence number. Concurrent page-table changes could therefore leave stale or unowned struct page pointers dereferenced or marked dirty. The resolution builds the scatter-gather table while maintaining the required synchronization.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running an affected Linux kernel and exercising the drm/xe HMM path. The supplied record lists Linux 6.10, 6.12.19, 6.13.7, and 6.14 as affected, but its version data includes an ambiguous “0”; confirm exact distribution applicability with the vendor.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector requires local access and low privileges, with no user interaction. The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. Practical exploitability and reliability are not established by the supplied sources.
Researcher notes
The core issue is a lifetime and synchronization failure around HMM-derived page pointers and MMU-notifier sequencing. The sources provide fixes but no CWE classification, crash signature, proof of concept, or confirmed exploitation. Version applicability should be resolved through distribution advisories because the supplied affected-version representation is incomplete or ambiguous.
Mitigation direction
Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the referenced stable fix or its documented downstream equivalent.
Check the Linux distribution’s security advisory for exact affected and corrected package versions.
Prioritize updates on multi-user systems or hosts running untrusted local workloads.
Restrict unnecessary local accounts and untrusted workload access while remediation is pending.
Validation and detection
Inventory running kernel versions on systems using the Linux Xe graphics driver.
Compare installed package versions with the applicable distribution security advisory.
Verify the deployed kernel contains a referenced stable fix or documented downstream backport.
After updating, confirm systems booted into the corrected kernel rather than an older installed image.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVSS vector scores
1 official score
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