CVE-2025-21812

ax25: rcu protect dev->ax25_ptr

HIGH
7.8
CVSS Score
Published: February 27, 2025 at 08:01 PM UTC
Updated: August 5, 2026 at 12:44 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

Using Linux by Linux?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Linux - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ax25: rcu protect dev->ax25_ptr syzbot found a lockdep issue [1]. We should remove ax25 RTNL dependency in ax25_setsockopt() This should also fix a variety of possible UAF in ax25. [1] WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected 6.13.0-rc3-syzkaller-00762-g9268abe611b0 #0 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ syz.5.1818/12806 is trying to acquire lock: ffffffff8fcb3988 (rtnl_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: ax25_setsockopt+0xa55/0xe90 net/ax25/af_ax25.c:680 but task is already holding lock: ffff8880617ac258 (sk_lock-AF_AX25){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: lock_sock include/net/sock.h:1618 [inline] ffff8880617ac258 (sk_lock-AF_AX25){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: ax25_setsockopt+0x209/0xe90 net/ax25/af_ax25.c:574 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #1 (sk_lock-AF_AX25){+.+.}-{0:0}: lock_acquire+0x1ed/0x550 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5849 lock_sock_nested+0x48/0x100 net/core/sock.c:3642 lock_sock include/net/sock.h:1618 [inline] ax25_kill_by_device net/ax25/af_ax25.c:101 [inline] ax25_device_event+0x24d/0x580 net/ax25/af_ax25.c:146 notifier_call_chain+0x1a5/0x3f0 kernel/notifier.c:85 __dev_notify_flags+0x207/0x400 dev_change_flags+0xf0/0x1a0 net/core/dev.c:9026 dev_ifsioc+0x7c8/0xe70 net/core/dev_ioctl.c:563 dev_ioctl+0x719/0x1340 net/core/dev_ioctl.c:820 sock_do_ioctl+0x240/0x460 net/socket.c:1234 sock_ioctl+0x626/0x8e0 net/socket.c:1339 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:906 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl+0xf5/0x170 fs/ioctl.c:892 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f -> #0 (rtnl_mutex){+.+.}-{4:4}: check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3161 [inline] check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3280 [inline] validate_chain+0x18ef/0x5920 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3904 __lock_acquire+0x1397/0x2100 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5226 lock_acquire+0x1ed/0x550 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5849 __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:585 [inline] __mutex_lock+0x1ac/0xee0 kernel/locking/mutex.c:735 ax25_setsockopt+0xa55/0xe90 net/ax25/af_ax25.c:680 do_sock_setsockopt+0x3af/0x720 net/socket.c:2324 __sys_setsockopt net/socket.c:2349 [inline] __do_sys_setsockopt net/socket.c:2355 [inline] __se_sys_setsockopt net/socket.c:2352 [inline] __x64_sys_setsockopt+0x1ee/0x280 net/socket.c:2352 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f other info that might help us debug this: Possible unsafe locking scenario: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- lock(sk_lock-AF_AX25); lock(rtnl_mutex); lock(sk_lock-AF_AX25); lock(rtnl_mutex); *** DEADLOCK *** 1 lock held by syz.5.1818/12806: #0: ffff8880617ac258 (sk_lock-AF_AX25){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: lock_sock include/net/sock.h:1618 [inline] #0: ffff8880617ac258 (sk_lock-AF_AX25){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: ax25_setsockopt+0x209/0xe90 net/ax25/af_ax25.c:574 stack backtrace: CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 12806 Comm: syz.5.1818 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc3-syzkaller-00762-g9268abe611b0 #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 09/13/2024 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x241/0x360 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_circular_bug+0x13a/0x1b0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2074 check_noncircular+0x36a/0x4a0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2206 check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3161 [inline] check_prevs_add kernel/lockin ---truncated---

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v ≥ 3.18.132v ≥ 4.14.92v ≥ 4.19.14v ≥ 4.20.1v ≥ 4.4.170v ≥ 4.9.1493.18.132 ≤ v < 3.194.14.92 ≤ v < 4.154.19.14 ≤ v < 4.204.20.1 ≤ v < 4.214.20.1 ≤ v < 6.1.1294.4.170 ≤ v < 4.54.9.149 ≤ v < 4.105.0 ≤ v < 6.1.1295.0 ≤ v < 6.12.135.0 ≤ v < 6.13.25.0 ≤ v < 6.145.0 ≤ v < 6.6.766.13 ≤ v < 6.13.26.2 ≤ v < 6.6.766.7 ≤ v < 6.12.1326a5adc8eb26d170058645c3cccd4d19165bec163.18.1323e881d8764ed9b04ae3e5c3e5d132acb75ef91ba4.14.924.19.144.20.14.4.1704.9.1495.077768c96dcf860c43b970b87b2a09229f84ea5607f93d703e276311dd289c9a520ce9e8c8fa2858cc0e93a6d36135d5082cb3af8352f5b69c9f58d6ec39b8fd4997bf99503b8e48d8cb0eedb1d9a54f0c433570458e49bccea5c551df628d058b3526289
Vendor states this is fixed in 2802ed4ced27ebd474828fc67ffd7d66f11e3605 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7705d8a7f2c26c80973c81093db07c6022b2b30e (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8937f5e38a218531dce2a89fae60e3adcc2311e1 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 95fc45d1dea8e1253f8ec58abc5befb71553d666 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in c2531db6de3c95551be58878f859c6a053b7eb2e (fixed)
Affected range stops below 3.19, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.10, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.15, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.20, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.21, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.5, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.0 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.129 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.13 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.13.2 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.14 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.76 (unaffected)

References (6)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2802ed4ced27ebd474828fc67ffd7d66f11e3605
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7705d8a7f2c26c80973c81093db07c6022b2b30e
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8937f5e38a218531dce2a89fae60e3adcc2311e1
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95fc45d1dea8e1253f8ec58abc5befb71553d666
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c2531db6de3c95551be58878f859c6a053b7eb2e
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00028.html

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.8HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-416

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card