Driver Crash in Linux Kernel Due to Incomplete Hardware State Management

CVE-2026-46249

What is CVE-2026-46249?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel related to the PF driver occurs during kexec booting, where the hardware is not power-cycled. This can cause the AF state from the old kernel to persist, leading to situations where the PF driver may probe before the AF has properly reinitialized the hardware. When the PF driver mistakenly assumes the AF is ready based on an uncleared RVUM block revision, it can access stale hardware state, resulting in a crash. To mitigate this issue, the RVUM block revision needs to be cleared during AF shutdown, ensuring correct detection of AF readiness in subsequent boots.

References