CVE-2025-38521

  • Published: 2025-08-16T11:15:45.413

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU

The GPU hard reset sequence calls pm_runtime_force_suspend() and
pm_runtime_force_resume(), which according to their documentation should
only be used during system-wide PM transitions to sleep states.

The main issue though is that depending on some internal runtime PM
state as seen by pm_runtime_force_suspend() (whether the usage count is
<= 1), pm_runtime_force_resume() might not resume the device unless
needed. If that happens, the runtime PM resume callback
pvr_power_device_resume() is not called, the GPU clocks are not
re-enabled, and the kernel crashes on the next attempt to access GPU
registers as part of the power-on sequence.

Replace calls to pm_runtime_force_suspend() and
pm_runtime_force_resume() with direct calls to the driver's runtime PM
callbacks, pvr_power_device_suspend() and pvr_power_device_resume(),
to ensure clocks are re-enabled and avoid the kernel crash.

Related CVE by CWE

No related CWE found.

Top CVE for Vendor

No vendor taxonomy on this entry.

Recently Exploited Similar Vulnerabilities

No recent KEV-listed items for this vendor/product.

How to fix CVE-2025-38521

CVE-2025-38521 is a unknown severity vulnerability affecting the affected product.

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU The GPU hard reset sequence calls pm_runtime_force_suspend() and pm_runtime_force_resume(), which according to their documentation should only be used during system-wide PM transitions to sleep states. The main issue though is that depending on some internal runtime […]

Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public

How to Fix:

1 Identify affected systems

- Check if you're running the affected product

2 Immediate actions

- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access

3 Verification

- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)

4 Long-term prevention

- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations

Exploit Difficulty Assessment

HARD
⏱️ Time to Exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Skills Required: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public Exploits: Rare or not public

Vulnerability Timeline

Aug 16, 2025
Vulnerability Published

CVE details first published to NVD database

Nov 12, 2025
Imported to Database

Added to this CVE tracking system

Detection Rules & IOCs

No specific detection rules generated for this vulnerability type.

No vendor/product data available.