Linux Kernel up to 6.12.19/6.13.7 net/core/skbuff.c xdp_update_skb_shared_info privilege escalation

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.19/6.13.7. It has been classified as problematic. This impacts the function xdp_update_skb_shared_info of the file net/core/skbuff.c. Performing a manipulation results in an unknown weakness. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2025-21961. No exploit is available. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.19/6.13.7. It has been classified as problematic. This affects the function xdp_update_skb_shared_info of the file net/core/skbuff.c. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eth: bnxt: fix truesize for mb-xdp-pass case When mb-xdp is set and return is XDP_PASS, packet is converted from xdp_buff to sk_buff with xdp_update_skb_shared_info() in bnxt_xdp_build_skb(). bnxt_xdp_build_skb() passes incorrect truesize argument to xdp_update_skb_shared_info(). The truesize is calculated as BNXT_RX_PAGE_SIZE * sinfo->nr_frags but the skb_shared_info was wiped by napi_build_skb() before. So it stores sinfo->nr_frags before bnxt_xdp_build_skb() and use it instead of getting skb_shared_info from xdp_get_shared_info_from_buff(). Splat looks like: ------------[ cut here ]------------ WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 0 at net/core/skbuff.c:6072 skb_try_coalesce+0x504/0x590 Modules linked in: xt_nat xt_tcpudp veth af_packet xt_conntrack nft_chain_nat xt_MASQUERADE nf_conntrack_netlink xfrm_user xt_addrtype nft_coms CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/2 Not tainted 6.14.0-rc2+ #3 RIP: 0010:skb_try_coalesce+0x504/0x590 Code: 4b fd ff ff 49 8b 34 24 40 80 e6 40 0f 84 3d fd ff ff 49 8b 74 24 48 40 f6 c6 01 0f 84 2e fd ff ff 48 8d 4e ff e9 25 fd ff ff 0b e99 RSP: 0018:ffffb62c4120caa8 EFLAGS: 00010287 RAX: 0000000000000003 RBX: ffffb62c4120cb14 RCX: 0000000000000ec0 RDX: 0000000000001000 RSI: ffffa06e5d7dc000 RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: ffffa06e5d7ddec0 R08: ffffa06e6120a800 R09: ffffa06e7a119900 R10: 0000000000002310 R11: ffffa06e5d7dcec0 R12: ffffe4360575f740 R13: ffffe43600000000 R14: 0000000000000002 R15: 0000000000000002 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffffa0755f700000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f147b76b0f8 CR3: 00000001615d4000 CR4: 00000000007506f0 PKRU: 55555554 Call Trace: ? __warn+0x84/0x130 ? skb_try_coalesce+0x504/0x590 ? report_bug+0x18a/0x1a0 ? handle_bug+0x53/0x90 ? exc_invalid_op+0x14/0x70 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x16/0x20 ? skb_try_coalesce+0x504/0x590 inet_frag_reasm_finish+0x11f/0x2e0 ip_defrag+0x37a/0x900 ip_local_deliver+0x51/0x120 ip_sublist_rcv_finish+0x64/0x70 ip_sublist_rcv+0x179/0x210 ip_list_rcv+0xf9/0x130 How to reproduce: ip link set $interface1 xdp obj xdp_pass.o ip link set $interface1 mtu 9000 up ip a a 10.0.0.1/24 dev $interface1 ip link set $interfac2 mtu 9000 up ip a a 10.0.0.2/24 dev $interface2 ping 10.0.0.1 -s 65000 Following ping.py patch adds xdp-mb-pass case. so ping.py is going to be able to reproduce this issue.

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-21961 since 12/29/2024. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 237088 (SUSE SLED15 / SLES15 / openSUSE 15 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:01614-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.12.20 or 6.13.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 19107e71be330dbccb9f8f9f4cf0a9abeadad802/b4679807c6083ade4d47f03f80da891afcb6ef62/9f7b2aa5034e24d3c49db73d5f760c0435fe31c2 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 (237088) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-0683). 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
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell Avamar
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• SolarWinds Security Event Manager
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway
• IBM Security Verify Access

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 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
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.13.0
• 6.13.1
• 6.13.2
• 6.13.3
• 6.13.4
• 6.13.5
• 6.13.6
• 6.13.7

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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