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Response snapshot Nov 5, 2026, 23:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2025-38521

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

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.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.1 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2025-38521 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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.

Continue reading

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.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.1

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2025-38521 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, November 5). Linux kernel: drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU (CVE-2025-38521). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2025-38521

MLA

"Linux kernel: drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU (CVE-2025-38521)." KEVWire, 5 Nov. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2025-38521.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU (CVE-2025-38521)." Last modified November 5, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2025-38521.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: drm/imagination: Fix kernel crash when hard resetting the GPU (Aug 16, 2025).
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.
CVSS 7.1 (version 3.1; evidence as of Nov 5, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38521).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2025-38521: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38521
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-05T20:51:23.450Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-05T22:25:57.582Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-05T20:16:05.862Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-05T21:50:58.884Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
Record ID: CVE-2025-38521.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Nov 5, 2026, 22:25 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Analyzed. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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