CVE-2025-37769 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically within the Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) AMD power management module for the SMU11 hardware (drm/amd/pm/smu11). The flaw arises due to insufficient validation of a user-controlled speed parameter. If a user sets the speed value greater than UINT_MAX/8, it can trigger a division by zero error within the kernel code. This vulnerability was discovered by the Linux Verification Center using static analysis tools (SVACE) and subsequently patched. The root cause is a lack of boundary checks on the speed value before performing arithmetic operations, which can lead to a runtime exception in kernel space. Since this occurs in the kernel's AMD GPU power management subsystem, exploitation could potentially cause a kernel panic or system crash, leading to denial of service (DoS). The vulnerability does not require authentication beyond user-level access to set the speed parameter, implying that any local user or process with the ability to interact with the affected kernel interface could trigger the fault. There is no evidence of known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions identified by the commit hash 1e866f1fe528bc0158cdcd589053753032bdb52c, indicating a specific range of kernel builds prior to the patch commit da7dc714a8f8e1c9fc33c57cd63583779a3bef71.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to systems running Linux kernels with AMD GPUs that utilize the SMU11 power management module. The impact is mainly a denial of service through kernel crashes, which can disrupt critical services, especially in environments relying on Linux servers or workstations with AMD graphics hardware. This could affect sectors such as finance, healthcare, research institutions, and public services that depend on stable Linux-based infrastructure. While the vulnerability does not appear to allow privilege escalation or remote code execution, the ability for a local user or process to cause a kernel panic could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised local accounts to degrade system availability. In multi-tenant environments or cloud services hosted in Europe, this could lead to service interruptions or impact virtualized workloads using AMD GPU passthrough. Given the widespread use of Linux in European IT infrastructure and the increasing adoption of AMD GPUs for compute and graphics workloads, the vulnerability could have a broad operational impact if left unpatched.

European organizations should prioritize updating their Linux kernels to versions that include the patch for CVE-2025-37769. Specifically, kernel maintainers and system administrators should apply the commit da7dc714a8f8e1c9fc33c57cd63583779a3bef71 or later. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should restrict or monitor access to interfaces that allow setting the speed parameter in the AMD SMU11 power management module, limiting it to trusted users or processes. Implementing kernel-level security modules (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to constrain access to device control interfaces can reduce exploitation risk. Additionally, monitoring system logs for kernel panics or unusual GPU power management activity can help detect attempted exploitation. For cloud providers or virtualized environments, isolating workloads and limiting user privileges to prevent unauthorized local access is recommended. Finally, organizations should maintain an inventory of systems running affected Linux kernel versions with AMD GPUs to prioritize remediation efforts.