CVE-2025-38410 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 07/25/2025
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/msm: Fix a fence leak in submit error path
In error paths, we could unref the submit without calling drm_sched_entity_push_job(), so msm_job_free() will never get called. Since drm_sched_job_cleanup() will NULL out the s_fence, we can use that to detect this case.
Patchwork: https://patchwork.freedesktop.org/patch/653584/
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-38410 resides within the Linux kernel's direct rendering manager subsystem, specifically affecting the msm driver component that manages graphics processing units for mobile devices. This issue represents a memory management flaw that occurs during error handling scenarios within the graphics submission pipeline, creating a potential resource leak condition that could be exploited to degrade system performance or availability. The vulnerability affects systems utilizing the msm graphics driver framework which is commonly found in mobile and embedded Linux systems where graphics processing is handled through the kernel's DRM subsystem.
The technical flaw manifests in the error handling path of the graphics submission mechanism where the kernel fails to properly clean up resources when an error occurs during job submission. Specifically, during error conditions, the system unreferences the submit structure without invoking the drm_sched_entity_push_job() function which would normally trigger the proper cleanup sequence. This omission prevents the msm_job_free() function from being called, leaving allocated memory resources unreleased and creating a fence leak. The vulnerability stems from improper state management where the drm_sched_job_cleanup() function sets the s_fence pointer to NULL, but this cleanup mechanism cannot detect when the job submission path was interrupted before reaching the proper cleanup function call sequence.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory leakage to potentially affect system stability and performance over time. While the immediate exploitation may not cause system crashes or security breaches, the cumulative effect of unreleased fence resources can lead to memory exhaustion, particularly in systems with high graphics processing loads or frequent job submissions. The leak could be exploited by malicious actors to perform resource exhaustion attacks, where repeated submission of graphics jobs followed by error conditions would gradually consume available memory resources. This vulnerability affects the broader graphics processing pipeline and could impact applications that rely heavily on GPU acceleration, potentially causing application instability or system-wide performance degradation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper error path handling and resource cleanup procedures within the kernel's graphics subsystem. System administrators should ensure that all kernel updates are applied promptly to address this memory leak issue, particularly in environments where graphics-intensive applications are regularly used. The fix involves modifying the error handling code to properly detect when drm_sched_entity_push_job() was not called and ensure that cleanup functions are invoked regardless of the execution path taken. This approach aligns with security best practices for resource management and follows the principle of least privilege in kernel space operations. The solution demonstrates the importance of comprehensive error handling in kernel code and the need for proper resource cleanup even in exceptional circumstances, addressing the underlying CWE-404 weakness related to improper resource release and the ATT&CK technique of resource exhaustion through memory leaks.
The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper resource management in kernel space operations, where even seemingly minor oversight in error handling can lead to significant system impact. The fix implemented addresses the specific issue by ensuring that cleanup operations occur regardless of the execution path, preventing the accumulation of unreleased fence resources that could eventually lead to system instability or performance degradation. This represents a typical example of how kernel vulnerabilities can manifest through subtle programming errors in resource management rather than through more obvious security flaws, emphasizing the need for thorough code review and testing of error handling paths in critical system components.