CVE-2025-38670

Source
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38670
Import Source
https://storage.googleapis.com/osv-test-cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2025-38670.json
JSON Data
https://api.test.osv.dev/v1/vulns/CVE-2025-38670
Downstream
Related
Published
2025-08-22T16:03:01.242Z
Modified
2025-11-27T19:35:04.240477Z
Summary
arm64/entry: Mask DAIF in cpu_switch_to(), call_on_irq_stack()
Details

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

arm64/entry: Mask DAIF in cpuswitchto(), callonirq_stack()

cpu_switch_to() and call_on_irq_stack() manipulate SP to change to different stacks along with the Shadow Call Stack if it is enabled. Those two stack changes cannot be done atomically and both functions can be interrupted by SErrors or Debug Exceptions which, though unlikely, is very much broken : if interrupted, we can end up with mismatched stacks and Shadow Call Stack leading to clobbered stacks.

In cpu_switch_to(), it can happen when SPEL0 points to the new task, but x18 stills points to the old task's SCS. When the interrupt handler tries to save the task's SCS pointer, it will save the old task SCS pointer (x18) into the new task struct (pointed to by SPEL0), clobbering it.

In call_on_irq_stack(), it can happen when switching from the task stack to the IRQ stack and when switching back. In both cases, we can be interrupted when the SCS pointer points to the IRQ SCS, but SP points to the task stack. The nested interrupt handler pushes its return addresses on the IRQ SCS. It then detects that SP points to the task stack, calls call_on_irq_stack() and clobbers the task SCS pointer with the IRQ SCS pointer, which it will also use !

This leads to tasks returning to addresses on the wrong SCS, or even on the IRQ SCS, triggering kernel panics via CONFIGVMAPSTACK or FPAC if enabled.

This is possible on a default config, but unlikely. However, when enabling CONFIGARM64PSEUDO_NMI, DAIF is unmasked and instead the GIC is responsible for filtering what interrupts the CPU should receive based on priority. Given the goal of emulating NMIs, pseudo-NMIs can be received by the CPU even in cpu_switch_to() and call_on_irq_stack(), possibly very frequently depending on the system configuration and workload, leading to unpredictable kernel panics.

Completely mask DAIF in cpu_switch_to() and restore it when returning. Do the same in call_on_irq_stack(), but restore and mask around the branch. Mask DAIF even if CONFIGSHADOWCALL_STACK is not enabled for consistency of behaviour between all configurations.

Introduce and use an assembly macro for saving and masking DAIF, as the existing one saves but only masks IF.

Database specific
{
    "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/ee626f5d79d5817bb21d6f048dc0da4c4e383443/cves/2025/38xxx/CVE-2025-38670.json",
    "cna_assigner": "Linux"
}
References

Affected packages

Git / git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git

Affected ranges

Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
402d2b1d54b7085d0c3bfd01fd50c2701dde64b3
Fixed
407047893a64399f2d2390ff35cc6061107d805d
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
4403c7b7e5e1ad09a266b6e399fd7bf97931508e
Fixed
a6b0cb523eaa01efe8a3f76ced493ba60674c6e6
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
59b37fe52f49955791a460752c37145f1afdcad1
Fixed
9433a5f437b0948d6a2d8a02ad7a42ab7ca27a61
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
59b37fe52f49955791a460752c37145f1afdcad1
Fixed
708fd522b86d2a9544c34ec6a86fa3fc23336525
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
59b37fe52f49955791a460752c37145f1afdcad1
Fixed
0f67015d72627bad72da3c2084352e0aa134416b
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
59b37fe52f49955791a460752c37145f1afdcad1
Fixed
d42e6c20de6192f8e4ab4cf10be8c694ef27e8cb
Type
GIT
Repo
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
Events
Introduced
0 Unknown introduced commit / All previous commits are affected
Last affected
e47ce4f11e26fa3ea99b09521da8b3ac3a7b578d

Linux / Kernel

Package

Name
Kernel

Affected ranges

Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
0Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
5.15.190
Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
5.16.0
Fixed
6.1.149
Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
6.2.0
Fixed
6.6.101
Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
6.3.0
Fixed
6.12.41
Type
ECOSYSTEM
Events
Introduced
6.7.0
Fixed
6.15.9