cbcvebase.
CVE-2025-21693
published 2025-02-10

CVE-2025-21693: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: zswap: properly synchronize freeing resources during CPU hotunplug In zswap_compress()…

PriorityP338high7.8CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCHIHAH
EPSS
0.20%
10.0th percentile
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: zswap: properly synchronize freeing resources during CPU hotunplug In zswap_compress() and zswap_decompress(), the per-CPU acomp_ctx of the current CPU at the beginning of the operation is retrieved and used throughout. However, since neither preemption nor migration are disabled, it is possible that the operation continues on a different CPU. If the original CPU is hotunplugged while the acomp_ctx is still in use, we run into a UAF bug as some of the resources attached to the acomp_ctx are freed during hotunplug in zswap_cpu_comp_dead() (i.e. acomp_ctx.buffer, acomp_ctx.req, or acomp_ctx.acomp). The problem was introduced in commit 1ec3b5fe6eec ("mm/zswap: move to use crypto_acomp API for hardware acceleration") when the switch to the crypto_acomp API was made. Prior to that, the per-CPU crypto_comp was retrieved using get_cpu_ptr() which disables preemption and makes sure the CPU cannot go away from under us. Preemption cannot be disabled with the crypto_acomp API as a sleepable context is needed. Use the acomp_ctx.mutex to synchronize CPU hotplug callbacks allocating and freeing resources with compression/decompression paths. Make sure that acomp_ctx.req is NULL when the resources are freed. In the compression/decompression paths, check if acomp_ctx.req is NULL after acquiring the mutex (meaning the CPU was offlined) and retry on the new CPU. The initialization of acomp_ctx.mutex is moved from the CPU hotplug callback to the pool initialization where it belongs (where the mutex is allocated). In addition to adding clarity, this makes sure that CPU hotplug cannot reinitialize a mutex that is already locked by compression/decompression. Previously a fix was attempted by holding cpus_read_lock() [1]. This would have caused a potential deadlock as it is possible for code already holding the lock to fall into reclaim and enter zswap (causing a deadlock). A fix was also attempted using SRCU

Affected

21 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
debianlinux< linux 6.12.12-1 (forky)linux 6.12.12-1 (forky)
linuxlinux
linuxlinux>= 1ec3b5fe6eec782f4e5e0a80e4ce1909ffd5d161 < 8d29ff5d50304daa41dc3cfdda4a9d1e46cf5be18d29ff5d50304daa41dc3cfdda4a9d1e46cf5be1
linuxlinux>= 1ec3b5fe6eec782f4e5e0a80e4ce1909ffd5d161 < 12dcb0ef540629a281533f9dedc1b6b8e14cfb6512dcb0ef540629a281533f9dedc1b6b8e14cfb65
linuxlinux_kernel
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.12.12-16.12.12-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 0 < 6.12.12-16.12.12-1
linuxlinux_kernel>= 5.11 < 6.12.126.12.12
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.104.2-4_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.112.1-2_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.117.1-1_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.119.3-1_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.119.3-3_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.121.1-1_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.126.1-1_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.130.1-3_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.96.2-1_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrcazl3_kernel_6.6.96.2-2_on_azure_linux_3.0
msrccbl2_kernel_5.15.186.1-1_on_cbl_mariner_2.0
msrccbl2_kernel_5.15.200.1-1_on_cbl_mariner_2.0
msrccbl2_kernel_5.15.202.1-1_on_cbl_mariner_2.0

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
osv7.8HIGH
vendor_debian7.8HIGH
vendor_msrc7.8HIGH
vendor_redhat7.8HIGH
vendor_ubuntu5.5MEDIUM
Stop checking back — get the weekly exploitation signal.

Every Monday: what got weaponized or added to CISA KEV in the last seven days — each CVE cross-linked to its PoC, Nuclei template, and detection rule. Free, one email a week, unsubscribe in one click.