CVE-2025-38689
- Published: 2025-09-04T16:15:37.013
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
x86/fpu: Fix NULL dereference in avx512_status()
Problem
——-
With CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU enabled, reading /proc/[kthread]/arch_status
causes a warning and a NULL pointer dereference.
This is because the AVX-512 timestamp code uses x86_task_fpu() but
doesn’t check it for NULL. CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU addles that function
for kernel threads (PF_KTHREAD specifically), making it return NULL.
The point of the warning was to ensure that kernel threads only access
task->fpu after going through kernel_fpu_begin()/_end(). Note: all
kernel tasks exposed in /proc have a valid task->fpu.
Solution
——–
One option is to silence the warning and check for NULL from
x86_task_fpu(). However, that warning is fairly fresh and seems like a
defense against misuse of the FPU state in kernel threads.
Instead, stop outputting AVX-512_elapsed_ms for kernel threads
altogether. The data was garbage anyway because avx512_timestamp is
only updated for user threads, not kernel threads.
If anyone ever wants to track kernel thread AVX-512 use, they can come
back later and do it properly, separate from this bug fix.
[ dhansen: mostly rewrite changelog ]
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How to fix CVE-2025-38689
Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/fpu: Fix NULL dereference in avx512_status() Problem ——- With CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU enabled, reading /proc/[kthread]/arch_status causes a warning and a NULL pointer dereference. This is because the AVX-512 timestamp code uses x86_task_fpu() but doesn’t check it for NULL. CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU addles that function for kernel threads (PF_KTHREAD specifically), […]
Exploit Difficulty: HARD
⏱️ Time to exploit: > 4 hours
🛠️ Required skills: Advanced security expertise
💰 Public exploits: Rare or not public
How to Fix:
- Check if you're running the affected product
- Update to the latest patched version
- If patching is not immediately possible: restrict network exposure, apply least-privilege access
- Test the fix in a staging environment first
- Review logs for signs of exploitation
- Monitor for IOCs (Indicators of Compromise)
- Enable automatic security updates
- Set up vulnerability monitoring
- Review and harden security configurations
Exploit Difficulty Assessment
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