CVE-2025-21701 (GCVE-0-2025-21701)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2025-02-13 15:05
Modified
2026-08-05 11:53
Severity ?
7.8 (High) - CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: avoid race between device unregistration and ethnl ops The following trace can be seen if a device is being unregistered while its number of channels are being modified. DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(lock->magic != lock) WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 3754 at kernel/locking/mutex.c:564 __mutex_lock+0xc8a/0x1120 CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 3754 Comm: ethtool Not tainted 6.13.0-rc6+ #771 RIP: 0010:__mutex_lock+0xc8a/0x1120 Call Trace: <TASK> ethtool_check_max_channel+0x1ea/0x880 ethnl_set_channels+0x3c3/0xb10 ethnl_default_set_doit+0x306/0x650 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1e3/0x2c0 genl_rcv_msg+0x432/0x6f0 netlink_rcv_skb+0x13d/0x3b0 genl_rcv+0x28/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x42e/0x720 netlink_sendmsg+0x765/0xc20 __sys_sendto+0x3ac/0x420 __x64_sys_sendto+0xe0/0x1c0 do_syscall_64+0x95/0x180 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e This is because unregister_netdevice_many_notify might run before the rtnl lock section of ethnl operations, eg. set_channels in the above example. In this example the rss lock would be destroyed by the device unregistration path before being used again, but in general running ethnl operations while dismantle has started is not a good idea. Fix this by denying any operation on devices being unregistered. A check was already there in ethnl_ops_begin, but not wide enough. Note that the same issue cannot be seen on the ioctl version (__dev_ethtool) because the device reference is retrieved from within the rtnl lock section there. Once dismantle started, the net device is unlisted and no reference will be found.
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Version: cfd719f04267108f5f5bf802b9d7de69e99a99f9
Version: dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa
Version: dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa
Version: dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa
Version: dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa
Version: dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa
Version: 7c26da3be1e9843a15b5318f90db8a564479d2ac
Version: 5.15.8   ≤
Version: 5.10.87   ≤
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              "value": "AV:L - The vulnerable path is entered by sending an ethtool generic-netlink message on an AF_NETLINK socket from a local process (`__sys_sendto` \u2192 `genl_rcv` \u2192 `ethnl_default_set_doit`/`ethnl_default_doit`). Netlink-based subsystem access is Local per kernel scoring guidance.\nAC:L - The attacker controls both sides of the race \u2014 creating and deleting veth/dummy devices in a namespace they own while concurrently hammering ethnl GET/SET requests for those ifindexes from other threads \u2014 so the window can be hit reliably and repeated indefinitely. Once the device reaches NETREG_UNREGISTERED it stalls in netdev_wait_allrefs_any() on the reference the attacker\u0027s own request holds, keeping the window open.\nPR:L - Local access as an ordinary unprivileged user suffices: ethtool netlink GET operations require no capability, and the SET operations\u0027 GENL_UNS_ADMIN_PERM resolves to ns_capable(net-\u003euser_ns, CAP_NET_ADMIN), which is granted inside an unprivileged user namespace (unshare -Urn) that also lets the attacker create and destroy the netdevices needed for the race.\nUI:N - The attacker drives both the device unregistration and the ethtool netlink requests entirely from their own processes. No victim action or interaction is involved.\nS:U - The corruption and crash occur in kernel memory within the same security authority as the attacking local process. No VM, IOMMU, or hypervisor boundary is crossed.\nC:H - The ethtool operation proceeds against a device whose teardown has fully completed \u2014 rss_lock destroyed, the rss_ctx xarray destroyed and its ethtool_rxfh_context objects freed, ndo_uninit() and NETDEV_UNREGISTER notifiers already run \u2014 so reads through this dismantled state can return freed/stale kernel memory to userspace via the netlink reply. This use-after-teardown condition is treated as High per the use-after-free guidance.\nI:H - The ethtool set handlers (set_channels, set_rings, set_coalesce, etc.) perform writes into device and driver structures that have already been torn down, and lock a mutex that has been destroyed, giving an attacker-influenced write into stale kernel state that is exploitable for memory corruption.\nA:H - The reported symptom is a kernel WARNING in __mutex_lock() from locking the destroyed rss_lock, which is fatal on panic_on_warn systems, and operating on a fully dismantled net_device readily leads to oopses and driver-level crashes."
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Once the device reaches NETREG_UNREGISTERED it stalls in netdev_wait_allrefs_any() on the reference the attacker\u0027s own request holds, keeping the window open.\\nPR:L - Local access as an ordinary unprivileged user suffices: ethtool netlink GET operations require no capability, and the SET operations\u0027 GENL_UNS_ADMIN_PERM resolves to ns_capable(net-\u003euser_ns, CAP_NET_ADMIN), which is granted inside an unprivileged user namespace (unshare -Urn) that also lets the attacker create and destroy the netdevices needed for the race.\\nUI:N - The attacker drives both the device unregistration and the ethtool netlink requests entirely from their own processes. No victim action or interaction is involved.\\nS:U - The corruption and crash occur in kernel memory within the same security authority as the attacking local process. No VM, IOMMU, or hypervisor boundary is crossed.\\nC:H - The ethtool operation proceeds against a device whose teardown has fully completed \\u2014 rss_lock destroyed, the rss_ctx xarray destroyed and its ethtool_rxfh_context objects freed, ndo_uninit() and NETDEV_UNREGISTER notifiers already run \\u2014 so reads through this dismantled state can return freed/stale kernel memory to userspace via the netlink reply. This use-after-teardown condition is treated as High per the use-after-free guidance.\\nI:H - The ethtool set handlers (set_channels, set_rings, set_coalesce, etc.) perform writes into device and driver structures that have already been torn down, and lock a mutex that has been destroyed, giving an attacker-influenced write into stale kernel state that is exploitable for memory corruption.\\nA:H - The reported symptom is a kernel WARNING in __mutex_lock() from locking the destroyed rss_lock, which is fatal on panic_on_warn systems, and operating on a fully dismantled net_device readily leads to oopses and driver-level crashes.\"}]}], \"affected\": [{\"repo\": \"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\", \"vendor\": \"Linux\", \"product\": \"Linux\", \"versions\": [{\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"cfd719f04267108f5f5bf802b9d7de69e99a99f9\", \"lessThan\": \"26bc6076798aa4dc83a07d0a386f9e57c94e8517\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa\", \"lessThan\": \"b1cb37a31a482df3dd35a6ac166282dac47664f4\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa\", \"lessThan\": \"2f29127e94ae9fdc7497331003d6860e9551cdf3\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa\", \"lessThan\": \"b382ab9b885cbb665e0e70a727f101c981b4edf3\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa\", \"lessThan\": \"4dc880245f9b529fa8f476b5553c799d2848b47b\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"dde91ccfa25fd58f64c397d91b81a4b393100ffa\", \"lessThan\": \"12e070eb6964b341b41677fd260af5a305316a1f\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"7c26da3be1e9843a15b5318f90db8a564479d2ac\", \"versionType\": \"git\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"5.15.8\", \"lessThan\": \"5.15.179\", \"versionType\": \"semver\"}, {\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"5.10.87\", \"lessThan\": \"5.11\", \"versionType\": \"semver\"}], \"programFiles\": [\"net/ethtool/netlink.c\"], \"defaultStatus\": \"unaffected\"}, {\"repo\": \"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\", \"vendor\": \"Linux\", \"product\": \"Linux\", \"versions\": [{\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"5.16\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"0\", \"lessThan\": \"5.16\", \"versionType\": \"semver\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"5.15.179\", \"versionType\": \"semver\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"5.15.*\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"6.1.129\", \"versionType\": \"semver\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"6.1.*\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"6.6.76\", \"versionType\": \"semver\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"6.6.*\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"6.12.13\", \"versionType\": \"semver\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"6.12.*\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"6.13.2\", \"versionType\": \"semver\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"6.13.*\"}, {\"status\": \"unaffected\", \"version\": \"6.14\", \"versionType\": \"original_commit_for_fix\", \"lessThanOrEqual\": \"*\"}], \"programFiles\": [\"net/ethtool/netlink.c\"], \"defaultStatus\": \"affected\"}], \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26bc6076798aa4dc83a07d0a386f9e57c94e8517\"}, {\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1cb37a31a482df3dd35a6ac166282dac47664f4\"}, {\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f29127e94ae9fdc7497331003d6860e9551cdf3\"}, {\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b382ab9b885cbb665e0e70a727f101c981b4edf3\"}, {\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4dc880245f9b529fa8f476b5553c799d2848b47b\"}, {\"url\": \"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12e070eb6964b341b41677fd260af5a305316a1f\"}], \"x_generator\": {\"engine\": \"bippy-1.2.0\"}, \"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\\n\\nnet: avoid race between device unregistration and ethnl ops\\n\\nThe following trace can be seen if a device is being unregistered while\\nits number of channels are being modified.\\n\\n  DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(lock-\u003emagic != lock)\\n  WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 3754 at kernel/locking/mutex.c:564 __mutex_lock+0xc8a/0x1120\\n  CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 3754 Comm: ethtool Not tainted 6.13.0-rc6+ #771\\n  RIP: 0010:__mutex_lock+0xc8a/0x1120\\n  Call Trace:\\n   \u003cTASK\u003e\\n   ethtool_check_max_channel+0x1ea/0x880\\n   ethnl_set_channels+0x3c3/0xb10\\n   ethnl_default_set_doit+0x306/0x650\\n   genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1e3/0x2c0\\n   genl_rcv_msg+0x432/0x6f0\\n   netlink_rcv_skb+0x13d/0x3b0\\n   genl_rcv+0x28/0x40\\n   netlink_unicast+0x42e/0x720\\n   netlink_sendmsg+0x765/0xc20\\n   __sys_sendto+0x3ac/0x420\\n   __x64_sys_sendto+0xe0/0x1c0\\n   do_syscall_64+0x95/0x180\\n   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e\\n\\nThis is because unregister_netdevice_many_notify might run before the\\nrtnl lock section of ethnl operations, eg. set_channels in the above\\nexample. In this example the rss lock would be destroyed by the device\\nunregistration path before being used again, but in general running\\nethnl operations while dismantle has started is not a good idea.\\n\\nFix this by denying any operation on devices being unregistered. A check\\nwas already there in ethnl_ops_begin, but not wide enough.\\n\\nNote that the same issue cannot be seen on the ioctl version\\n(__dev_ethtool) because the device reference is retrieved from within\\nthe rtnl lock section there. Once dismantle started, the net device is\\nunlisted and no reference will be found.\"}], \"cpeApplicability\": [{\"nodes\": [{\"negate\": false, \"cpeMatch\": [{\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"5.15.179\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.15.8\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"6.1.129\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.16\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"6.6.76\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.16\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"6.12.13\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.16\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"6.13.2\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.16\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionEndExcluding\": \"6.14\", \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.16\"}, {\"criteria\": \"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\", \"vulnerable\": true, \"versionStartIncluding\": \"5.10.87\"}], \"operator\": \"OR\"}]}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\", \"shortName\": \"Linux\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-08-05T11:53:44.132Z\"}}}",
      "cveMetadata": "{\"cveId\": \"CVE-2025-21701\", \"state\": \"PUBLISHED\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2026-08-05T11:53:44.132Z\", \"dateReserved\": \"2024-12-29T08:45:45.748Z\", \"assignerOrgId\": \"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\", \"datePublished\": \"2025-02-13T15:05:46.483Z\", \"assignerShortName\": \"Linux\"}",
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.2"
    }
  }
}


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