net: avoid race between device unregistration and ethnl ops
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
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.
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 | 5.15.8 to before 5.15.179; 5.10.87 to before 5.11 | 5.15.179, 5.11 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.16 and later | 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.15.8 to before 5.15.179; 5.10.87 to before 5.11 Fixed in 5.15.179, 5.11 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.16 and later Fixed in 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.10.87 to before 5.11; 5.15.8 to before 5.15.179; 5.16.1 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:5.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc8 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.10.87 to before 5.11; 5.15.8 to before 5.15.179; 5.16.1 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:5.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc8 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.179, 5.11
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.76, 6.12.13, 6.13.2, 6.14
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | 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 yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-21701
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-268v-p5rc-rhmv
References
Patch 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26bc6076798aa4dc83a07d0a386f9e57c94e8517
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1cb37a31a482df3dd35a6ac166282dac47664f4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f29127e94ae9fdc7497331003d6860e9551cdf3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b382ab9b885cbb665e0e70a727f101c981b4edf3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4dc880245f9b529fa8f476b5553c799d2848b47b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12e070eb6964b341b41677fd260af5a305316a1f
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-2025-21701 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-21701 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-268v-p5rc-rhmv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-21701 · 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