The nouveau driver in the Linux kernel attempted an auxiliary transfer through the /dev/drm_dp_* interface while the GPU was in a runtime suspended state. Instead of indicating that the device was unavailable, the driver sent a request to the GPU’s GSP code, a call that is invalid when the GPU is asleep, and this caused the kernel to crash. The crash results in a kernel panic, effectively shutting down the host operating system. This flaw is a classic example of a fault in proprietary code that can lead to a denial‑of‑service by corrupting the control flow of the kernel (CWE‑367).

All Linux kernel releases that ship the nouveau graphics driver without the recent patch are affected. The vulnerability was demonstrated on a system running kernel 6.18.10‑200.fc43.x86_64 and applies across all distributions where this driver is present, regardless of vendor. No specific version range is claimed beyond the presence of the vulnerable code.

The vulnerability does not have an assigned CVSS score and the EPSS score is not available. It is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, indicating no large‑scale exploitation has been reported. Based on the description, the likely attack vector is local: an attacker must run code that can invoke the /dev/drm_dp_* interface while the GPU is asleep, such as a privileged process or a firmware‑upgrade client. Because the error leads to a kernel crash, the impact is high, as it can bring the entire system down and require a reboot. The lack of remote exploitation paths or elevated privilege prerequisites makes the risk lower than a remote exploit, but the potential for an unwanted system crash is still significant.