CVE-2025-21738

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ata: libata-sff: Ensure that we cannot write outside the allocated buffer reveliofuzzing reported that a SCSI_IOCTL_SEND_COMMAND ioctl with out_len set to 0xd42, SCSI command set to ATA_16 PASS-THROUGH, ATA command set to ATA_NOP, and protocol set to ATA_PROT_PIO, can cause ata_pio_sector() to write outside the allocated buffer, overwriting random memory. While a ATA device is supposed to abort a ATA_NOP command, there does seem to be a bug either in libata-sff or QEMU, where either this status is not set, or the status is cleared before read by ata_sff_hsm_move(). Anyway, that is most likely a separate bug. Looking at __atapi_pio_bytes(), it already has a safety check to ensure that __atapi_pio_bytes() cannot write outside the allocated buffer. Add a similar check to ata_pio_sector(), such that also ata_pio_sector() cannot write outside the allocated buffer.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-02-27
Last modified 2025-11-03
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.22 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14, 6.13.3, 6.14 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.22
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.129 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.78 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.14 6.12.x ✓ 6.13.3 6.13.x ✓ 6.14

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-21738 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

5 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-21738?

    CVE-2025-21738 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.22 onward and has been patched in 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14 and others. CVE-2025-21738 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-21738?

    CVE-2025-21738 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2025-21738?

    Yes — CVE-2025-21738 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.22 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-21738 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-21738 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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