#VU103960 Improper locking in Linux kernel - CVE-2025-21701

Vulnerability identifier: #VU103960

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:U/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-21701

CWE-ID: CWE-667

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Linux kernel
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The vulnerability exists due to improper locking within the ethnl_ops_begin() function in net/ethtool/netlink.c. A local user can perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: All versions

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External links
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12e070eb6964b341b41677fd260af5a305316a1f
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f29127e94ae9fdc7497331003d6860e9551cdf3
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4dc880245f9b529fa8f476b5553c799d2848b47b
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b382ab9b885cbb665e0e70a727f101c981b4edf3

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.