Junglewise Threat Intelligence

CVE-2026-31784: Linux Kernel Intel Xe driver infinite loop in PXP

CVE-2026-31784 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-05-01

Technologies: Linux Kernel. Vendors: Linux.

Executive brief

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel Xe graphics driver could allow a local user to cause a system hang or denial of service. The issue occurs within the Protected Xe Path (PXP) component, which is responsible for secure video playback and hardware-protected content. An exploit could lead to an infinite loop in the kernel, impacting system stability and availability.

Technical details

A logic error exists in the 'pxp_start' function within 'drivers/gpu/drm/xe/xe_pxp.c' of the Intel Xe graphics driver. The code failed to clear a 'restart' boolean flag after jumping back to the beginning of the function. This results in an infinite loop when the end of the function is reached while the flag remains set. A local attacker with access to the graphics subsystem could trigger this condition to cause a kernel hang (Denial of Service). The issue has been resolved by explicitly clearing the restart flag after the jump point.

Affected products

  • Linux Linux Kernel 6.17 to 6.18.22, 6.19 to 6.19.12, 7.0-rc1 to 7.0-rc6

Timeline

  • 2026-03-24: other: Patch authored
  • 2026-05-01: disclosed: Initial disclosure date
  • 2026-05-01: advisory: NVD publication date

References

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