CVE-2025-71076 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 01/13/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/xe/oa: Limit num_syncs to prevent oversized allocations
The OA open parameters did not validate num_syncs, allowing userspace to pass arbitrarily large values, potentially leading to excessive allocations.
Add check to ensure that num_syncs does not exceed DRM_XE_MAX_SYNCS, returning -EINVAL when the limit is violated.
v2: use XE_IOCTL_DBG() and drop duplicated check. (Ashutosh)
(cherry picked from commit e057b2d2b8d815df3858a87dffafa2af37e5945b)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2025-71076 affects the Linux kernel's graphics subsystem, specifically within the Intel Xe graphics driver's Open Analytics (OA) functionality. This issue resides in the device driver layer responsible for managing graphics processing unit operations and performance monitoring. The flaw manifests in the validation of user-supplied parameters during the OA open operation, where the driver fails to properly constrain input values, creating a potential pathway for resource exhaustion attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter validation within the drm/xe/oa subsystem. The num_syncs parameter, which controls the number of synchronization objects in the OA monitoring context, lacks proper bounds checking. This allows malicious or malformed user-space applications to specify arbitrarily large values for num_syncs, potentially triggering excessive memory allocations that exceed system capabilities. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and resource management, where user-provided data directly influences kernel memory allocation sizes without proper sanitization.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for systems running Linux kernels with Intel Xe graphics support. An attacker could exploit this weakness to cause denial of service conditions by consuming excessive system memory through oversized allocations, potentially leading to system instability or complete system crashes. The impact extends beyond simple resource exhaustion as it could enable privilege escalation scenarios or facilitate more sophisticated attacks that leverage the kernel's memory management subsystem. The vulnerability affects systems utilizing Intel graphics hardware through the drm/xe driver, particularly those implementing performance monitoring and analytics features.
The mitigation strategy implemented in the fix involves adding explicit validation logic to ensure that num_syncs values remain within acceptable bounds defined by DRM_XE_MAX_SYNCS constant. This approach follows established security principles of input validation and resource limitation, preventing malicious or erroneous inputs from causing system-wide issues. The solution employs the XE_IOCTL_DBG() macro for enhanced debugging capabilities while eliminating redundant checks to maintain performance and code clarity. This fix aligns with common security practices for kernel-level vulnerabilities and addresses the root cause rather than merely patching symptoms. The implementation follows the principle of least privilege by limiting user-space influence over kernel resource allocation parameters.
This vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-129, Input Validation and Canonical Representation, and CWE-770, Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, as it involves insufficient validation of user-provided parameters leading to unbounded resource consumption. The attack surface maps to the ATT&CK technique T1068, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, and T1499, Endpoint Denial of Service, through the potential for resource exhaustion attacks. The fix demonstrates proper defensive programming practices by implementing bounds checking and using appropriate error codes such as -EINVAL to signal parameter validation failures to user-space applications. This represents a standard security hardening measure that aligns with kernel security best practices and industry standards for preventing resource exhaustion attacks in operating system components.