Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's crypto component can cause a system crash (kernel oops) when attempting to hibernate or shut down. This affects systems using AMD Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) technology. While it does not allow for data theft, it can lead to unexpected service outages and loss of unsaved data during power management operations.
Technical details
A NULL pointer dereference exists in the Linux kernel's CCP driver within the `__sev_platform_shutdown_locked()` function. The issue was introduced when error message handling was refactored, causing `__sev_firmware_shutdown()` to pass a NULL argument where a valid error pointer was expected. This is triggered during the shutdown path, specifically during 'suspend to disk' (hibernation) or power-off sequences. An attacker with local access could potentially trigger this state to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). The vulnerability has been patched by ensuring a valid pointer to a local error variable is always passed to the shutdown function.
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel 6.16 to 6.16.9, 6.17-rc4
Timeline
- 2025-09-06: disclosed: Initial patch authored
- 2025-10-04: advisory: CVE published