The Linux kernel driver for Intel GPUs, i915/gem, previously omitted a nospec instruction that would prevent speculative execution on a userspace controlled parallel submit slot. This flaw could allow a malicious process to induce speculative execution that may read data from protected memory regions, resulting in information disclosure across process boundaries. The likely attack vector involves a local user with access to the GPU driver issuing specially crafted commands to a parallel submit slot. This inference is drawn from the description of a missing Spectre mitigation and typical GPU user‑space interactions.

All Linux kernel instances that do not contain the commit that adds the missing nospec instruction (15b9353deff3cf72331c387780de3cf9c316b643) are affected. This includes any distribution using a kernel version prior to the patch, regardless of kernel major or minor version.

The vulnerability is a Spectre‑style speculative execution flaw, which can be highly impactful if successfully exploited, potentially leading to confidentiality breaches. The CVSS score is 5.5 and the EPSS score is < 1%, indicating moderate severity and low exploitation probability, and the vulnerability remains unlisted in the CISA KEV catalogue. Nevertheless, the risk remains significant because speculative execution side‑channel attacks have demonstrated real‑world impact, and the flaw appears exploitable in kernel environments where userspace can trigger the parallel submit slot. Administrators should consider the potential for local or privileged users to mount an attack until the patch is applied.