CVE-2025-38170

arm64/fpsimd: Discard stale CPU state when handling SME traps

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: July 3, 2025 at 08:36 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 09:16 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsLinux KernelDebian Linux

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64/fpsimd: Discard stale CPU state when handling SME traps The logic for handling SME traps manipulates saved FPSIMD/SVE/SME state incorrectly, and a race with preemption can result in a task having TIF_SME set and TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE clear even though the live CPU state is stale (e.g. with SME traps enabled). This can result in warnings from do_sme_acc() where SME traps are not expected while TIF_SME is set: | /* With TIF_SME userspace shouldn't generate any traps */ | if (test_and_set_thread_flag(TIF_SME)) | WARN_ON(1); This is very similar to the SVE issue we fixed in commit: 751ecf6afd6568ad ("arm64/sve: Discard stale CPU state when handling SVE traps") The race can occur when the SME trap handler is preempted before and after manipulating the saved FPSIMD/SVE/SME state, starting and ending on the same CPU, e.g. | void do_sme_acc(unsigned long esr, struct pt_regs *regs) | { | // Trap on CPU 0 with TIF_SME clear, SME traps enabled | // task->fpsimd_cpu is 0. | // per_cpu_ptr(&fpsimd_last_state, 0) is task. | | ... | | // Preempted; migrated from CPU 0 to CPU 1. | // TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE is set. | | get_cpu_fpsimd_context(); | | /* With TIF_SME userspace shouldn't generate any traps */ | if (test_and_set_thread_flag(TIF_SME)) | WARN_ON(1); | | if (!test_thread_flag(TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE)) { | unsigned long vq_minus_one = | sve_vq_from_vl(task_get_sme_vl(current)) - 1; | sme_set_vq(vq_minus_one); | | fpsimd_bind_task_to_cpu(); | } | | put_cpu_fpsimd_context(); | | // Preempted; migrated from CPU 1 to CPU 0. | // task->fpsimd_cpu is still 0 | // If per_cpu_ptr(&fpsimd_last_state, 0) is still task then: | // - Stale HW state is reused (with SME traps enabled) | // - TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE is cleared | // - A return to userspace skips HW state restore | } Fix the case where the state is not live and TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE is set by calling fpsimd_flush_task_state() to detach from the saved CPU state. This ensures that a subsequent context switch will not reuse the stale CPU state, and will instead set TIF_FOREIGN_FPSTATE, forcing the new state to be reloaded from memory prior to a return to userspace. Note: this was originallly posted as [1]. [ Rutland: rewrite commit message ]

Affected

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

5.19 ≤ v < 6.1.1425.19 ≤ v < 6.12.345.19 ≤ v < 6.15.35.19 ≤ v < 6.165.19 ≤ v < 6.6.946.13 ≤ v < 6.15.36.2 ≤ v < 6.6.946.7 ≤ v < 6.12.345.198bd7f91c03d886f41d35f6108078d20be5a4a1bd
Vendor states this is fixed in 43be952e885476dafb74aa832c0847b2f4f650c6 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6103f9ba51a59afb5a0f32299c837377c5a5a693 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in c4a4786d93e99517d6f10ed56b9ffba4ce88d3b3 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in d3eaab3c70905c5467e5c4ea403053d67505adeb (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in de89368de3894a8db27caeb8fd902ba1c49f696a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.19 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.142 (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)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.94 (unaffected)

References (6)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43be952e885476dafb74aa832c0847b2f4f650c6
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6103f9ba51a59afb5a0f32299c837377c5a5a693
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4a4786d93e99517d6f10ed56b9ffba4ce88d3b3
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d3eaab3c70905c5467e5c4ea403053d67505adeb
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de89368de3894a8db27caeb8fd902ba1c49f696a
Third Party Advisory
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html

CVSS

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

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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