LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2025-38673: Revert "drm/gem-framebuffer: Use dma_buf from GEM object instance"

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Revert "drm/gem-framebuffer: Use dma_buf from GEM object instance" This reverts commit cce16fcd7446dcff7480cd9d2b6417075ed81065. The dma_buf field in struct drm_gem_object is not stable over the object instance's lifetime. The field becomes NULL when user space releases the final GEM handle on the buffer object. This resulted in a NULL-pointer deref. Workarounds in commit 5307dce878d4 ("drm/gem: Acquire references on GEM handles for framebuffers") and commit f6bfc9afc751 ("drm/framebuffer: Acquire internal references on GEM handles") only solved the problem partially. They especially don't work for buffer objects without a DRM framebuffer associated. Hence, this revert to going back to using .import_attach->dmabuf. v3: - cc stable

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Linux kernel issue can crash affected systems when graphics buffer lifetime handling goes wrong. The source describes a NULL pointer dereference in DRM/GEM framebuffer code after user space releases the final GEM handle. Business impact is most likely availability loss, but severity and exploitability are not quantified in the provided sources.

Executive priority

Treat this as a kernel availability risk until vendor severity is available. Prioritize routine patching for Linux systems using affected kernel lines, especially shared or graphics-enabled hosts. There is no sourced evidence of active exploitation in the provided bundle.

Technical view

The fix reverts commit cce16fcd7446dcff7480cd9d2b6417075ed81065 because struct drm_gem_object.dma_buf is not stable for the object lifetime. It can become NULL after the final GEM handle is released, causing a NULL pointer dereference. The revert returns to using .import_attach->dmabuf.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux kernels containing the reverted DRM/GEM change. The bundle lists Linux kernel versions including 6.15, 6.15.9, and 6.16, but version-range semantics are incomplete. Systems with graphics, display, or DMA-BUF workflows deserve review first.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing, public exploitation, exploit code, or attacker prerequisites. The described trigger involves user space releasing the final GEM handle on a buffer object, suggesting local user-space interaction may be relevant, but the sources do not fully define exploit conditions.

Researcher notes

The key technical point is lifetime mismatch: drm_gem_object.dma_buf may be cleared before all code paths stop using it. Earlier reference-acquisition workarounds only partially addressed framebuffer-associated objects and missed objects without DRM framebuffers. Validate the exact introduced and fixed commits in downstream kernels.

Mitigation direction

  • Check kernel vendor advisories for CVE-2025-38673 coverage.
  • Update to a kernel build containing the referenced stable revert.
  • Prioritize exposed multi-user Linux systems with graphics or DRM usage.
  • Track distribution backports rather than relying only on upstream version numbers.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions across affected fleets.
  • Check package changelogs for CVE-2025-38673 or the stable revert commits.
  • Review kernel crash logs for DRM/GEM NULL pointer dereference patterns.
  • Confirm vendor kernels include the upstream stable fixes.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-38673 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxcce16fcd7446dcff7480cd9d2b6417075ed81065, cce16fcd7446dcff7480cd9d2b6417075ed81065unaffected
LinuxLinux6.15, 0, 6.15.9, 6.16affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.