CVE-2025-21781: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix panic during interface removal Reference counting is used to ensure that batadv_hardif_neigh_node and batadv_hard_iface are not freed before/during batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update work is finished. But there isn't a guarantee that the hard if will remain associated with a soft interface up until the work is finished. This fixes a crash triggered by reboot that looks like this: Call trace: batadv_v_mesh_free+0xd0/0x4dc [batman_adv] batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update+0x1c/0xa4 process_one_work+0x178/0x398 worker_thread+0x2e8/0x4d0 kthread+0xd8/0xdc ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 (the batadv_v_mesh_free call is misleading, and does not actually happen) I was able to make the issue happen more reliably by changing hardif_neigh->bat_v.metric_work work to be delayed work. This allowed me to track down and confirm the fix. [[email protected]: prevent entering batadv_v_elp_get_throughput without soft_iface]

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

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

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	4.6 — 5.4.291
linux	linux_kernel	5.5 — 5.10.235
linux	linux_kernel	5.11 — 5.15.179
linux	linux_kernel	5.16 — 6.1.129
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.79
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.16
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.13.4
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/072b2787321903287a126c148e8db87dd7ef96fe https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/167422a07096a6006599067c8b55884064fa0b72 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c3fb7df4cc6d043f70d4a8a10f8b915bbfb75e7 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/522b1596ea19e327853804da2de60aeb9c5d6f42 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7eb5dd201695645af071592a50026eb780081a72 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ccb7276a6d26d6f8416e315b43b45e15ee7f29e2 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce3f1545bf8fa28bd05ec113679e8e6cd23af577 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0a16c6c79768180333f3e41ce63f32730e3c3af

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00028.html https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-21781? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix panic during interface removal Reference counting is used to ensure that batadv_hardif_neigh_node and batadv_hard_iface are not freed before/during batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update work is finished. But there isn't a guarantee that the hard if will remain associated with a soft interface up until the work is finished. This fixes a crash triggered by reboot that looks like this: Call trace: batadv_v_mesh_free+0xd0/0x4dc [batman_adv] batadv_v_elp_throughput_metric_update+0x1c/0xa4 process_one_work+0x178/0x398 worker_thread+0x2e8/0x4d0 kthread+0xd8/0xdc ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 (the batadv_v_mesh_free call is misleading, and does not actually happen) I was able to make the issue happen more reliably by changing hardif_neigh->bat_v.metric_work work to be delayed work. This allowed me to track down and confirm the fix. [[email protected]: prevent entering batadv_v_elp_get_throughput without soft_iface] It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-21781? +

CVE-2025-21781 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-21781? +

CVE-2025-21781 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-21781? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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