Linux Kernel up to 6.12.55/6.17.5 VM_BIND Interface drm_gpuva null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability described as critical has been identified in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.55/6.17.5. This affects the function drm_gpuva of the component VM_BIND Interface. Executing a manipulation can lead to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2025-40225. There is not any exploit available. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.55/6.17.5. It has been declared as critical. This vulnerability affects the function drm_gpuva of the component VM_BIND Interface. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. As an impact it is known to affect availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/panthor: Fix kernel panic on partial unmap of a GPU VA region This commit address a kernel panic issue that can happen if Userspace tries to partially unmap a GPU virtual region (aka drm_gpuva). The VM_BIND interface allows partial unmapping of a BO. Panthor driver pre-allocates memory for the new drm_gpuva structures that would be needed for the map/unmap operation, done using drm_gpuvm layer. It expected that only one new drm_gpuva would be needed on umap but a partial unmap can require 2 new drm_gpuva and that's why it ended up doing a NULL pointer dereference causing a kernel panic. Following dump was seen when partial unmap was exercised. Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000078 Mem abort info: ESR = 0x0000000096000046 EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits SET = 0, FnV = 0 EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 FSC = 0x06: level 2 translation fault Data abort info: ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000046, ISS2 = 0x00000000 CM = 0, WnR = 1, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 user pgtable: 4k pages, 48-bit VAs, pgdp=000000088a863000 [000000000000078] pgd=080000088a842003, p4d=080000088a842003, pud=0800000884bf5003, pmd=0000000000000000 Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000046 [#1] PREEMPT SMP <snip> pstate: 60000005 (nZCv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) pc : panthor_gpuva_sm_step_remap+0xe4/0x330 [panthor] lr : panthor_gpuva_sm_step_remap+0x6c/0x330 [panthor] sp : ffff800085d43970 x29: ffff800085d43970 x28: ffff00080363e440 x27: ffff0008090c6000 x26: 0000000000000030 x25: ffff800085d439f8 x24: ffff00080d402000 x23: ffff800085d43b60 x22: ffff800085d439e0 x21: ffff00080abdb180 x20: 0000000000000000 x19: 0000000000000000 x18: 0000000000000010 x17: 6e656c202c303030 x16: 3666666666646466 x15: 393d61766f69202c x14: 312d3d7361203a70 x13: 303030323d6e656c x12: ffff80008324bf58 x11: 0000000000000003 x10: 0000000000000002 x9 : ffff8000801a6a9c x8 : ffff00080360b300 x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : 000000088aa35fc7 x5 : fff1000080000000 x4 : ffff8000842ddd30 x3 : 0000000000000001 x2 : 0000000100000000 x1 : 0000000000000001 x0 : 0000000000000078 Call trace: panthor_gpuva_sm_step_remap+0xe4/0x330 [panthor] op_remap_cb.isra.22+0x50/0x80 __drm_gpuvm_sm_unmap+0x10c/0x1c8 drm_gpuvm_sm_unmap+0x40/0x60 panthor_vm_exec_op+0xb4/0x3d0 [panthor] panthor_vm_bind_exec_sync_op+0x154/0x278 [panthor] panthor_ioctl_vm_bind+0x160/0x4a0 [panthor] drm_ioctl_kernel+0xbc/0x138 drm_ioctl+0x240/0x500 __arm64_sys_ioctl+0xb0/0xf8 invoke_syscall+0x4c/0x110 el0_svc_common.constprop.1+0x98/0xf8 do_el0_svc+0x24/0x38 el0_svc+0x40/0xf8 el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa0/0xc8 el0t_64_sync+0x174/0x178

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2025-40225 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 277721 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-40225), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.12.56 or 6.17.6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch efe6dced3512066ebee2cf7c4c38d1c99625814e/e9c19d19dd7e08db89cead5b0337c18590dc6645/4eabd0d8791eaf9a7b114ccbf56eb488aefe7b1f is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (277721) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2747). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Google Cloud Platform
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Microsoft Azure Linux

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.12.20
• 6.12.21
• 6.12.22
• 6.12.23
• 6.12.24
• 6.12.25
• 6.12.26
• 6.12.27
• 6.12.28
• 6.12.29
• 6.12.30
• 6.12.31
• 6.12.32
• 6.12.33
• 6.12.34
• 6.12.35
• 6.12.36
• 6.12.37
• 6.12.38
• 6.12.39
• 6.12.40
• 6.12.41
• 6.12.42
• 6.12.43
• 6.12.44
• 6.12.45
• 6.12.46
• 6.12.47
• 6.12.48
• 6.12.49
• 6.12.50
• 6.12.51
• 6.12.52
• 6.12.53
• 6.12.54
• 6.12.55
• 6.17.0
• 6.17.1
• 6.17.2
• 6.17.3
• 6.17.4
• 6.17.5

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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Entryinfo

Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

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