geneve: Fix use-after-free in geneve_find_dev().
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: 10 fixed, 2 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: geneve: Fix use-after-free in geneve_find_dev(). syzkaller reported a use-after-free in geneve_find_dev() [0] without repro. geneve_configure() links struct geneve_dev.next to net_generic(net, geneve_net_id)->geneve_list. The net here could differ from dev_net(dev) if IFLA_NET_NS_PID, IFLA_NET_NS_FD, or IFLA_TARGET_NETNSID is set. When dev_net(dev) is dismantled, geneve_exit_batch_rtnl() finally calls unregister_netdevice_queue() for each dev in the netns, and later the dev is freed. However, its geneve_dev.next is still linked to the backend UDP socket netns. Then, use-after-free will occur when another geneve dev is created in the netns. Let's call geneve_dellink() instead in geneve_destroy_tunnels(). [0]: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in geneve_find_dev drivers/net/geneve.c:1295 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in geneve_configure+0x234/0x858 drivers/net/geneve.c:1343 Read of size 2 at addr ffff000054d6ee24 by task syz.1.4029/13441 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 13441 Comm: syz.1.4029 Not tainted 6.13.0-g0ad9617c78ac #24 dc35ca22c79fb82e8e7bc5c9c9adafea898b1e3d Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) Call trace: show_stack+0x38/0x50 arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c:466 (C) __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xbc/0x108 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:378 [inline] print_report+0x16c/0x6f0 mm/kasan/report.c:489 kasan_report+0xc0/0x120 mm/kasan/report.c:602 __asan_report_load2_noabort+0x20/0x30 mm/kasan/report_generic.c:379 geneve_find_dev drivers/net/geneve.c:1295 [inline] geneve_configure+0x234/0x858 drivers/net/geneve.c:1343 geneve_newlink+0xb8/0x128 drivers/net/geneve.c:1634 rtnl_newlink_create+0x23c/0x868 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3795 __rtnl_newlink net/core/rtnetlink.c:3906 [inline] rtnl_newlink+0x1054/0x1630 net/core/rtnetlink.c:4021 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x61c/0x918 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6911 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1dc/0x398 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2543 rtnetlink_rcv+0x34/0x50 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6938 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1322 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x618/0x838 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1348 netlink_sendmsg+0x5fc/0x8b0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1892 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:713 [inline] __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:728 [inline] ____sys_sendmsg+0x410/0x6f8 net/socket.c:2568 ___sys_sendmsg+0x178/0x1d8 net/socket.c:2622 __sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2654 [inline] __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2659 [inline] __se_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2657 [inline] __arm64_sys_sendmsg+0x12c/0x1c8 net/socket.c:2657 __invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:35 [inline] invoke_syscall+0x90/0x278 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:49 el0_svc_common+0x13c/0x250 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:132 do_el0_svc+0x54/0x70 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:151 el0_svc+0x4c/0xa8 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:744 el0t_64_sync_handler+0x78/0x108 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:762 el0t_64_sync+0x198/0x1a0 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:600 Allocated by task 13247: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x30/0x68 mm/kasan/common.c:68 kasan_save_alloc_info+0x44/0x58 mm/kasan/generic.c:568 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:377 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0x84/0xa0 mm/kasan/common.c:394 kasan_kmalloc include/linux/kasan.h:260 [inline] __do_kmalloc_node mm/slub.c:4298 [inline] __kmalloc_node_noprof+0x2a0/0x560 mm/slub.c:4304 __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x9c/0x230 mm/util.c:645 alloc_netdev_mqs+0xb8/0x11a0 net/core/dev.c:11470 rtnl_create_link+0x2b8/0xb50 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3604 rtnl_newlink_create+0x19c/0x868 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3780 __rtnl_newlink net/core/rtnetlink.c:3906 [inline] rtnl_newlink+0x1054/0x1630 net/core/rtnetlink.c:4021 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x61c/0x918 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6911 netlink_rcv_skb+0x1dc/0x398 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2543 rtnetlink_rcv+0x34/0x50 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6938 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_n ---truncated---
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 | 4.2 and later | 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.130, 6.6.80, 6.12.17, 6.13.5, 6.14 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.2 and later Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.130, 6.6.80, 6.12.17, 6.13.5, 6.14 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.2 to before 6.1.130; 6.2 to before 6.6.80; 6.7 to before 6.12.17; 6.13 to before 6.13.5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.14 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.14 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.14 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.2 to before 6.1.130; 6.2 to before 6.6.80; 6.7 to before 6.12.17; 6.13 to before 6.13.5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.14 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.14 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.14:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.14 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.130, 6.6.80, 6.12.17, 6.13.5, 6.14
Red Hat 5 advisories
- RHSA-2026:26570 Released 2026-06-17 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.6) bpftool-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6, kernel-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6 +14
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS EXTENSION (v.8.6) bpftool-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6, kernel-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-372.196.1.el8_6 +14
- RHSA-2026:26563 Released 2026-06-17 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v.8.8) bpftool-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8, kernel-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8 +14
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v.8.8) bpftool-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8, kernel-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-477.147.1.el8_8 +14
- RHSA-2026:26535 Released 2026-06-17 · Red Hat rating Criticalkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.4) bpftool-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4, kernel-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4 +14
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS EXTENSION (v.8.4) bpftool-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4, kernel-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-305.194.1.el8_4 +14
Show 2 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:25121 Released 2026-06-10 · Red Hat rating Criticalkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-553.132.1.el8_10, kernel-4.18.0-553.132.1.el8_10, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-553.132.1.el8_10 +19
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-553.132.1.el8_10
- RHSA-2026:25120 Released 2026-06-10 · Red Hat rating Criticalkernel-rt security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10 +9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.132.1.rt7.473.el8_10 +7
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 yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25121 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26535 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26570 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v.8.8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26563 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS EXTENSION (v.8.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26535 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS EXTENSION (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26570 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v.8.8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26563 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25121 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25120 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25120 |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-21858
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-r9xq-fh23-wm6f
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5e86e27de0936f3cb0a299ce519d993e9cf3886
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a0538ac6826807d6919f6aecbb8996c2865af2c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f74f6560146714241c6e167b03165ee77a86e316
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/904e746b2e7fa952ab8801b303ce826a63153d78
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ce92ca990cfac88a87c61df3cc0b5880e688ecf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da9b0ae47f084014b1e4b3f31f70a0defd047ff3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/788dbca056a8783ec063da3c9d49a3a71c76c283
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9593172d93b9f91c362baec4643003dc29802929
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-2025-21858 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-21858 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-r9xq-fh23-wm6f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-21858 · 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