CVE-2025-21893

keys: Fix UAF in key_put()

HIGH
7.8
CVSS Score
Published: March 31, 2025 at 07:41 PM UTC
Updated: August 5, 2026 at 12:44 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: keys: Fix UAF in key_put() Once a key's reference count has been reduced to 0, the garbage collector thread may destroy it at any time and so key_put() is not allowed to touch the key after that point. The most key_put() is normally allowed to do is to touch key_gc_work as that's a static global variable. However, in an effort to speed up the reclamation of quota, this is now done in key_put() once the key's usage is reduced to 0 - but now the code is looking at the key after the deadline, which is forbidden. Fix this by using a flag to indicate that a key can be gc'd now rather than looking at the key's refcount in the garbage collector.

Affected

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

6.10 ≤ v < 6.12.216.10 ≤ v < 6.13.96.10 ≤ v < 6.146.13 ≤ v < 6.13.96.14 rc16.14 rc26.14 rc36.14 rc49578e327b2b4935a25d49e3891b8fcca9b6c10c6
Vendor states this is fixed in 6afe2ea2daec156bd94ad2c5a6f4f4c48240dcd3 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 75845c6c1a64483e9985302793dbf0dfa5f71e32 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f6a3cf833188e897c97028cd7b926e3f2cb1a8c0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.10 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.21 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.13.9 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.14 (unaffected)

References (3)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6afe2ea2daec156bd94ad2c5a6f4f4c48240dcd3
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75845c6c1a64483e9985302793dbf0dfa5f71e32
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f6a3cf833188e897c97028cd7b926e3f2cb1a8c0

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

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-416

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