CVE-2025-37848 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically related to the accel/ivpu subsystem, which handles certain device acceleration functions. The issue arises from improper handling of power management (PM) operations during ongoing MS IOCTL (Input/Output Control) calls. The vulnerability manifests as a deadlock condition caused by concurrent runtime suspend or resume operations while MS IOCTLs are in progress. When a suspend operation fails, the kernel calls ivpu_ms_cleanup(), which attempts to acquire a mutex lock (file_priv->ms_lock) that is already held by the ongoing IOCTL operations. This results in a deadlock, potentially causing the affected system to hang or become unresponsive. The root cause is a race condition between power management state transitions and IOCTL processing, leading to resource contention and lock acquisition conflicts. The vulnerability has been addressed by preventing runtime suspend or resume operations from occurring while MS IOCTLs are active, thereby eliminating the deadlock scenario. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The affected versions are identified by specific git commit hashes, indicating the vulnerability is present in certain Linux kernel builds prior to the fix.

For European organizations relying on Linux-based systems, particularly those using hardware acceleration features managed by the accel/ivpu subsystem, this vulnerability could lead to system instability or denial of service due to deadlocks during power management transitions. This is especially critical for environments requiring high availability such as data centers, cloud service providers, telecommunications infrastructure, and industrial control systems. A deadlock in kernel space can cause system hangs requiring manual intervention or reboot, disrupting business operations and potentially causing data loss if unsaved work or transactions are interrupted. Although no direct exploitation for privilege escalation or data breach is indicated, the availability impact alone can be significant. Organizations with automated power management or runtime suspend/resume features are at higher risk. The absence of known exploits suggests limited immediate threat, but the vulnerability's presence in the Linux kernel—a widely deployed OS in Europe—means that unpatched systems remain vulnerable to accidental or targeted disruption.

1. Apply the official Linux kernel patches that address CVE-2025-37848 as soon as they become available from trusted sources or Linux distribution maintainers. 2. Temporarily disable runtime suspend/resume features related to the accel/ivpu subsystem if patching is not immediately feasible, to avoid triggering the deadlock condition. 3. Monitor system logs for symptoms of deadlocks or hangs related to power management and IOCTL operations to detect potential exploitation or accidental triggering. 4. Implement robust system monitoring and automated recovery mechanisms to detect and remediate system hangs quickly, minimizing downtime. 5. For critical infrastructure, conduct controlled testing of kernel updates in staging environments to ensure compatibility and stability before production deployment. 6. Engage with Linux distribution security advisories and maintain an up-to-date inventory of kernel versions deployed across the organization to prioritize patching efforts.