CVE-2025-21857
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2025-21857 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on March 12, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/sched: cls_api: fix error handling causing NULL dereference
tcf_exts_miss_cookie_base_alloc() calls xa_alloc_cyclic() which can
return 1 if the allocation succeeded after wrapping. This was treated as
an error, with value 1 returned to caller tcf_exts_init_ex() which sets
exts->actions to NULL and returns 1 to caller fl_change().
fl_change() treats err == 1 as success, calling tcf_exts_validate_ex()
which calls tcf_action_init() with exts->actions as argument, where it
is dereferenced.
Example trace:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
CPU: 114 PID: 16151 Comm: handler114 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 5.14.0-503.16.1.el9_5.x86_64 #1
RIP: 0010:tcf_action_init+0x1f8/0x2c0
Call Trace:
tcf_action_init+0x1f8/0x2c0
tcf_exts_validate_ex+0x175/0x190
fl_change+0x537/0x1120 [cls_flower]
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 6.3, < 6.6.80 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-21857?
CVE-2025-21857 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on March 12, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2025-21857?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-21857?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2025-21857?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2025-21857 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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