Kernel Crash Vulnerability in Linux GPU Management by Imagination Technologies

CVE-2025-38521

What is CVE-2025-38521?

A flaw within the Linux kernel affects the GPU management system, leading to potential crashes when hard resetting the GPU. The issue arises during the GPU hard reset sequence, where the incorrect use of pm_runtime_force_suspend() and pm_runtime_force_resume() prevents the GPU clocks from being re-enabled. As a consequence, if a second attempt to access GPU registers occurs before the clocks are re-enabled, the kernel may crash. The resolution involves replacing these calls with the appropriate driver's runtime PM callbacks, pvr_power_device_suspend() and pvr_power_device_resume(), ensuring proper management of GPU power states and preventing system instability.

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