CVE-2025-38169

arm64/fpsimd: Avoid clobbering kernel FPSIMD state with SMSTOP

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: July 3, 2025 at 08:36 AM UTC
Updated: October 15, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64/fpsimd: Avoid clobbering kernel FPSIMD state with SMSTOP On system with SME, a thread's kernel FPSIMD state may be erroneously clobbered during a context switch immediately after that state is restored. Systems without SME are unaffected. If the CPU happens to be in streaming SVE mode before a context switch to a thread with kernel FPSIMD state, fpsimd_thread_switch() will restore the kernel FPSIMD state using fpsimd_load_kernel_state() while the CPU is still in streaming SVE mode. When fpsimd_thread_switch() subsequently calls fpsimd_flush_cpu_state(), this will execute an SMSTOP, causing an exit from streaming SVE mode. The exit from streaming SVE mode will cause the hardware to reset a number of FPSIMD/SVE/SME registers, clobbering the FPSIMD state. Fix this by calling fpsimd_flush_cpu_state() before restoring the kernel FPSIMD state.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.13 ≤ v < 6.15.36.8.12 ≤ v < 6.96.9.3 ≤ v < 6.12.3425b90cd122d546823da90b916f7c3289dfe83a996.106.8.126.9.3e003c485ac82a9f8de4204912ed059ac6dd4257ce92bee9f861b466c676f0200be3e46af7bc4ac6b
Vendor states this is fixed in 01098d893fa8a6edb2b56e178b798e3e6b674f02 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 55d52af498daea75aa03ba9b7e444c8ae495ac20 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in a305821f597ec943849d3e53924adb88c61ed682 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.10 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.34 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.15.3 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.16 (unaffected)
Affected range stops below 6.9, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

References (3)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01098d893fa8a6edb2b56e178b798e3e6b674f02
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55d52af498daea75aa03ba9b7e444c8ae495ac20
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a305821f597ec943849d3e53924adb88c61ed682

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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