Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2025-21631

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-19

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.15.177 / 6.1.125 or later.

See remediation →

80/100

Remediation priority · High

Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: block, bfq: fix waker_bfqq UAF after bfq_split_bfqq() Our syzkaller report a following UAF for v6.6: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in bfq_init_rq+0x175d/0x17a0 block/bfq-iosched.c:6958 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881b57147d8 by task fsstress/232726 CPU: 2 PID: 232726 Comm: fsstress Not tainted 6.6.0-g3629d1885222 #39 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x91/0xf0 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x66/0x300 mm/kasan/report.c:364 print_report+0x3e/0x70 mm/kasan/report.c:475 kasan_report+0xb8/0xf0 mm/kasan/report.c:588 hlist_add_head include/linux/list.h:1023 [inline] bfq_init_rq+0x175d/0x17a0 block/bfq-iosched.c:6958 bfq_insert_request.isra.0+0xe8/0xa20 block/bfq-iosched.c:6271 bfq_insert_requests+0x27f/0x390 block/bfq-iosched.c:6323 blk_mq_insert_request+0x290/0x8f0 block/blk-mq.c:2660 blk_mq_submit_bio+0x1021/0x15e0 block/blk-mq.c:3143 __submit_bio+0xa0/0x6b0 block/blk-core.c:639 __submit_bio_noacct_mq block/blk-core.c:718 [inline] submit_bio_noacct_nocheck+0x5b7/0x810 block/blk-core.c:747 submit_bio_noacct+0xca0/0x1990 block/blk-core.c:847 __ext4_read_bh fs/ext4/super.c:205 [inline] ext4_read_bh+0x15e/0x2e0 fs/ext4/super.c:230 __read_extent_tree_block+0x304/0x6f0 fs/ext4/extents.c:567 ext4_find_extent+0x479/0xd20 fs/ext4/extents.c:947 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x1a3/0x2680 fs/ext4/extents.c:4182 ext4_map_blocks+0x929/0x15a0 fs/ext4/inode.c:660 ext4_iomap_begin_report+0x298/0x480 fs/ext4/inode.c:3569 iomap_iter+0x3dd/0x1010 fs/iomap/iter.c:91 iomap_fiemap+0x1f4/0x360 fs/iomap/fiemap.c:80 ext4_fiemap+0x181/0x210 fs/ext4/extents.c:5051 ioctl_fiemap.isra.0+0x1b4/0x290 fs/ioctl.c:220 do_vfs_ioctl+0x31c/0x11a0 fs/ioctl.c:811 __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:869 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl+0xae/0x190 fs/ioctl.c:857 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x70/0x120 arch/x86/entry/common.c:81 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x78/0xe2 Allocated by task 232719: kasan_save_stack+0x22/0x50 mm/kasan/common.c:45 kasan_set_track+0x25/0x30 mm/kasan/common.c:52 __kasan_slab_alloc+0x87/0x90 mm/kasan/common.c:328 kasan_slab_alloc include/linux/kasan.h:188 [inline] slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slab.h:768 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3492 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x1b8/0x6f0 mm/slub.c:3537 bfq_get_queue+0x215/0x1f00 block/bfq-iosched.c:5869 bfq_get_bfqq_handle_split+0x167/0x5f0 block/bfq-iosched.c:6776 bfq_init_rq+0x13a4/0x17a0 block/bfq-iosched.c:6938 bfq_insert_request.isra.0+0xe8/0xa20 block/bfq-iosched.c:6271 bfq_insert_requests+0x27f/0x390 block/bfq-iosched.c:6323 blk_mq_insert_request+0x290/0x8f0 block/blk-mq.c:2660 blk_mq_submit_bio+0x1021/0x15e0 block/blk-mq.c:3143 __submit_bio+0xa0/0x6b0 block/blk-core.c:639 __submit_bio_noacct_mq block/blk-core.c:718 [inline] submit_bio_noacct_nocheck+0x5b7/0x810 block/blk-core.c:747 submit_bio_noacct+0xca0/0x1990 block/blk-core.c:847 __ext4_read_bh fs/ext4/super.c:205 [inline] ext4_read_bh_nowait+0x15a/0x240 fs/ext4/super.c:217 ext4_read_bh_lock+0xac/0xd0 fs/ext4/super.c:242 ext4_bread_batch+0x268/0x500 fs/ext4/inode.c:958 __ext4_find_entry+0x448/0x10f0 fs/ext4/namei.c:1671 ext4_lookup_entry fs/ext4/namei.c:1774 [inline] ext4_lookup.part.0+0x359/0x6f0 fs/ext4/namei.c:1842 ext4_lookup+0x72/0x90 fs/ext4/namei.c:1839 __lookup_slow+0x257/0x480 fs/namei.c:1696 lookup_slow fs/namei.c:1713 [inline] walk_component+0x454/0x5c0 fs/namei.c:2004 link_path_walk.part.0+0x773/0xda0 fs/namei.c:2331 link_path_walk fs/namei.c:3826 [inline] path_openat+0x1b9/0x520 fs/namei.c:3826 do_filp_open+0x1b7/0x400 fs/namei.c:3857 do_sys_openat2+0x5dc/0x6e0 fs/open.c:1428 do_sys_open fs/open.c:1443 [inline] __do_sys_openat fs/open.c:1459 [inline] __se_sys_openat fs/open.c:1454 [inline] __x64_sys_openat+0x148/0x200 fs/open.c:1454 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_6 ---truncated---

Technical summary

dbcve analysis

How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Linux KernelOperating system

Affected:>= 5.15.168, < 5.15.177>= 6.1.113, < 6.1.125>= 6.6.54, < 6.6.72>= 6.10.13, < 6.11>= 6.11.2, < 6.12.10= 6.13

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.15.177 / 6.1.125 / 6.6.72 or later

Fixed in 5.15.1776.1.1256.6.72

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to kernel version 5.15.177, 6.1.125, 6.6.72, or 6.11 or later

1. Identify the current running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
2. Check if the running kernel version falls within the affected range: 5.15.168-5.15.176, 6.1.113-6.1.124, 6.6.54-6.6.71, or 6.10.13-6.10.x (any version < 6.11)
3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to a fixed release: 5.15.177+, 6.1.125+, 6.6.72+, or 6.11+ (or the latest stable kernel available from your distribution)
4. For distribution-specific updates: apply vendor security updates (e.g., apt update && apt upgrade for Debian/Ubuntu, yum update for RHEL/CentOS, dnf update for Fedora)
5. Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
6. Verify the new kernel version is running using 'uname -r' and confirm it is not in the affected version ranges

Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system downtime for reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with proprietary kernel modules or specific hardware drivers; test in staging if possible

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-21631 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2025-21631?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 5.15.177 / 6.1.125 or later

Severity 7.8 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.2%

Affects: Linux Kernel

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Get a fix

Estimated effortfrom ~18 hrs

ComplexityComplex

Typical engagementfrom $3,200

What a fix involves

We scope it with you and confirm a fixed quote
A specialist builds a reviewed fix
You deploy it to staging first
Optional re-test once it’s live

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2025-21631 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Remediation

References