Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
x86/fpu: Fix NULL dereference in avx512_status()
Problem
-------
With CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU enabled, reading /proc/[kthread]/arch_status
causes a warning and a NULL pointer dereference.
This is because the AVX-512 timestamp code uses x86_task_fpu() but
doesn't check it for NULL. CONFIG_X86_DEBUG_FPU addles that function
for kernel threads (PF_KTHREAD specifically), making it return NULL.
The point of the warning was to ensure that kernel threads only access
task->fpu after going through kernel_fpu_begin()/_end(). Note: all
kernel tasks exposed in /proc have a valid task->fpu.
Solution
--------
One option is to silence the warning and check for NULL from
x86_task_fpu(). However, that warning is fairly fresh and seems like a
defense against misuse of the FPU state in kernel threads.
Instead, stop outputting AVX-512_elapsed_ms for kernel threads
altogether. The data was garbage anyway because avx512_timestamp is
only updated for user threads, not kernel threads.
If anyone ever wants to track kernel thread AVX-512 use, they can come
back later and do it properly, separate from this bug fix.
[ dhansen: mostly rewrite changelog ]
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.16 | 6.16.2 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 25.10 | linux-azure-fde | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-intel +19 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- WID-SEC-2025-1976 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026