CVE-2025-37969
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ST LSM6DSX IMU driver could cause a system lockup when reading tagged FIFO data. This affects systems using ST LSM6DSX inertial measurement units with the vulnerable driver. The vulnerability can lead to denial of service but not privilege escalation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ST LSM6DSX IMU driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
System becomes completely unresponsive requiring hard reboot, potentially causing data loss or service disruption.
Likely Case
Device using the IMU driver hangs or becomes unstable, requiring restart of affected service or system.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and restart mechanisms in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires ability to trigger specific IMU driver operations. Likely requires local access or compromised application with device permissions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 16857370b3a3, 35b8c0a28498, 4db7d923a8c2, 76727a1d81af, 8114ef86e205
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16857370b3a30663515956b3bd27f3def6a2cf06
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source. 3. Reboot system to load patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ST LSM6DSX driver
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist st_lsm6dsx' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod st_lsm6dsx
Disable IMU device
linuxDisable the IMU hardware if not required
echo 0 > /sys/bus/iio/devices/iio:deviceX/enable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system stability and implement automatic restart mechanisms for affected services.
- Isolate devices using ST LSM6DSX IMU to minimize blast radius if lockup occurs.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if ST LSM6DSX driver is loaded: lsmod | grep st_lsm6dsxCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Check kernel version includes fix commits: grep -r 'st_lsm6dsx_read_tagged_fifo' /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/source/drivers/iio/imu/st_lsm6dsx/📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- System hang/reboot events
- IMU driver error messages in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("st_lsm6dsx" OR "LSM6DSX" OR "kernel panic")🔗 References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16857370b3a30663515956b3bd27f3def6a2cf06
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35b8c0a284983b71d92d082c54b7eb655ed4194f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4db7d923a8c298788181b796f71adf6ca499f966
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76727a1d81afde77d21ea8feaeb12d34605be6f4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8114ef86e2058e2554111b793596f17bee23fa15
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ce662851380fe2018e36e15c0bdcb1ad177ed95
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ddb4cf2192c213e4dba1733bbcdc94cf6d85bf7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dadf9116108315f2eb14c7415c7805f392c476b4
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/08/msg00010.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html
