CVE-2025-71202
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. This vulnerability, an IOMMU SVA (Input/Output Memory Management Unit Shared Virtual Addressing) coherency issue, affects x86 systems. An unprivileged local user can trigger this by causing the kernel to free and reuse page table memory, while the IOMMU retains stale cached translations. This can lead to memory corruption, resulting in kernel crashes and potentially allowing an attacker to alter kernel memory contents.
Statement
An IOMMU SVA coherency issue exists on x86 when the IOMMU keeps stale IOTLB paging cache entries for kernel address space mappings while the kernel frees and reuses kernel page table pages. Without an architectural notification path the IOMMU may continue to use cached translations that reference freed page table memory. Since vfree and kernel page table reclamation are common this can be triggered as part of normal kernel activity once SVA is enabled and at least one mm is bound to a device through iommu_sva_bind_device. Stale IOTLB entries can lead to device DMA using outdated translations. Depending on the device and workload this can result in memory corruption of reused kernel page table pages. That can manifest as kernel crashes and can potentially be abused to alter kernel memory contents.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | 5.5 | 8.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | Local |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | Low |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Changed |
| Confidentiality | Low | None | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | None | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory; Read Application Data
When reusing a resource such as memory or a program variable, the original contents of that resource may not be cleared before it is sent to an untrusted party.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The uninitialized resource may contain values that cause program flow to change in ways that the programmer did not intend.
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