Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: qcom: bam_dma:...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
dmaengine: qcom: bam_dma: Fix DT error handling for num-channels/ees
When we don't have a clock specified in the device tree, we have no way to
ensure the BAM is on. This is often the case for remotely-controlled or
remotely-powered BAM instances. In this case, we need to read num-channels
from the DT to have all the necessary information to complete probing.
However, at the moment invalid device trees without clock and without
num-channels still continue probing, because the error handling is missing
return statements. The driver will then later try to read the number of
channels from the registers. This is unsafe, because it relies on boot
firmware and lucky timing to succeed. Unfortunately, the lack of proper
error handling here has been abused for several Qualcomm SoCs upstream,
causing early boot crashes in several situations [1, 2].
Avoid these early crashes by erroring out when any of the required DT
properties are missing. Note that this will break some of the existing DTs
upstream (mainly BAM instances related to the crypto engine). However,
clearly these DTs have never been tested properly, since the error in the
kernel log was just ignored. It's safer to disable the crypto engine for
these broken DTBs.
Impact
CVE-2025-39923 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-39923? CVE-2025-39923 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-39923? CVE-2025-39923 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-39923? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-39923 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-39923 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-39923 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-39923 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.