Linux Kernel up to 6.14-rc2 lib/vsprintf.c privilege escalation

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.128/6.6.78/6.12.15/6.13.3/6.14-rc2. It has been classified as problematic. This impacts an unknown function in the library lib/vsprintf.c. This manipulation causes an unknown weakness. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-21787. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.128/6.6.78/6.12.15/6.13.3/6.14-rc2. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown code block in the library lib/vsprintf.c. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: team: better TEAM_OPTION_TYPE_STRING validation syzbot reported following splat [1] Make sure user-provided data contains one nul byte. [1] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in string_nocheck lib/vsprintf.c:633 [inline] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in string+0x3ec/0x5f0 lib/vsprintf.c:714 string_nocheck lib/vsprintf.c:633 [inline] string+0x3ec/0x5f0 lib/vsprintf.c:714 vsnprintf+0xa5d/0x1960 lib/vsprintf.c:2843 __request_module+0x252/0x9f0 kernel/module/kmod.c:149 team_mode_get drivers/net/team/team_core.c:480 [inline] team_change_mode drivers/net/team/team_core.c:607 [inline] team_mode_option_set+0x437/0x970 drivers/net/team/team_core.c:1401 team_option_set drivers/net/team/team_core.c:375 [inline] team_nl_options_set_doit+0x1339/0x1f90 drivers/net/team/team_core.c:2662 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit net/netlink/genetlink.c:1115 [inline] genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:1195 [inline] genl_rcv_msg+0x1214/0x12c0 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1210 netlink_rcv_skb+0x375/0x650 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2543 genl_rcv+0x40/0x60 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1219 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1322 [inline] netlink_unicast+0xf52/0x1260 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1348 netlink_sendmsg+0x10da/0x11e0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1892 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:718 [inline] __sock_sendmsg+0x30f/0x380 net/socket.c:733 ____sys_sendmsg+0x877/0xb60 net/socket.c:2573 ___sys_sendmsg+0x28d/0x3c0 net/socket.c:2627 __sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2659 [inline] __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2664 [inline] __se_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2662 [inline] __x64_sys_sendmsg+0x212/0x3c0 net/socket.c:2662 x64_sys_call+0x2ed6/0x3c30 arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:47 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xcd/0x1e0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2025-21787 since 12/29/2024. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 233595 (Debian dla-4102 : linux-config-6.1 - security update), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.129, 6.6.79, 6.12.16, 6.13.4 or 6.14-rc3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 4512482e4805dd30bc77dec511f2a2edba5cb868/d071a91fa614ecdf760c29f61f6a7bfb7df796d6/4236bf4716589558cc0f3c3612642b2c2141b04e/8401cade1918281177974b32c925afdce750d292/5bef3ac184b5626ea62385d6b82a1992b89d7940 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (233595) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0453). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• Siemens SIMATIC S7
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Avamar
• Red Hat OpenShift
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• SolarWinds Security Event Manager
• Dell PowerProtect Data Domain
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• IBM DataPower Gateway
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway
• Dell PowerScale OneFS
• Dell ECS

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.1.128
• 6.6.0
• 6.6.1
• 6.6.2
• 6.6.3
• 6.6.4
• 6.6.5
• 6.6.6
• 6.6.7
• 6.6.8
• 6.6.9
• 6.6.10
• 6.6.11
• 6.6.12
• 6.6.13
• 6.6.14
• 6.6.15
• 6.6.16
• 6.6.17
• 6.6.18
• 6.6.19
• 6.6.20
• 6.6.21
• 6.6.22
• 6.6.23
• 6.6.24
• 6.6.25
• 6.6.26
• 6.6.27
• 6.6.28
• 6.6.29
• 6.6.30
• 6.6.31
• 6.6.32
• 6.6.33
• 6.6.34
• 6.6.35
• 6.6.36
• 6.6.37
• 6.6.38
• 6.6.39
• 6.6.40
• 6.6.41
• 6.6.42
• 6.6.43
• 6.6.44
• 6.6.45
• 6.6.46
• 6.6.47
• 6.6.48
• 6.6.49
• 6.6.50
• 6.6.51
• 6.6.52
• 6.6.53
• 6.6.54
• 6.6.55
• 6.6.56
• 6.6.57
• 6.6.58
• 6.6.59
• 6.6.60
• 6.6.61
• 6.6.62
• 6.6.63
• 6.6.64
• 6.6.65
• 6.6.66
• 6.6.67
• 6.6.68
• 6.6.69
• 6.6.70
• 6.6.71
• 6.6.72
• 6.6.73
• 6.6.74
• 6.6.75
• 6.6.76
• 6.6.77
• 6.6.78
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.13.0
• 6.13.1
• 6.13.2
• 6.13.3
• 6.14-rc1
• 6.14-rc2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

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