#VU105663 NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2025-21850

Vulnerability identifier: #VU105663

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-21850

CWE-ID: CWE-476

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 NULL pointer dereference within the nvmet_ns_enable(), nvmet_ns_disable(), nvmet_ns_free() and nvmet_ns_alloc() functions in drivers/nvme/target/core.c. A local user can perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 6.13, 6.13.1, 6.13.2, 6.13.3, 6.13.4

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External links
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4082326807072b71496501b6a0c55ffe8d5092a5
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc0607594f6813342b27c752c6fb6f6eb9980cb5
https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/ChangeLog-6.13.5

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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.