CVE-2025-21771

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Fix incorrect autogroup migration detection scx_move_task() is called from sched_move_task() and tells the BPF scheduler that cgroup migration is being committed. sched_move_task() is used by both cgroup and autogroup migrations and scx_move_task() tried to filter out autogroup migrations by testing the destination cgroup and PF_EXITING but this is not enough. In fact, without explicitly tagging the thread which is doing the cgroup migration, there is no good way to tell apart scx_move_task() invocations for racing migration to the root cgroup and an autogroup migration. This led to scx_move_task() incorrectly ignoring a migration from non-root cgroup to an autogroup of the root cgroup triggering the following warning: WARNING: CPU: 7 PID: 1 at kernel/sched/ext.c:3725 scx_cgroup_can_attach+0x196/0x340 ... Call Trace: <TASK> cgroup_migrate_execute+0x5b1/0x700 cgroup_attach_task+0x296/0x400 __cgroup_procs_write+0x128/0x140 cgroup_procs_write+0x17/0x30 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x141/0x1f0 vfs_write+0x31d/0x4a0 __x64_sys_write+0x72/0xf0 do_syscall_64+0x82/0x160 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e Fix it by adding an argument to sched_move_task() that indicates whether the moving is for a cgroup or autogroup migration. After the change, scx_move_task() is called only for cgroup migrations and renamed to scx_cgroup_move_task().

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-02-27
Last modified 2025-10-28
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 6.12 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.16, 6.13.4, 6.14 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.12
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.16 6.12.x ✓ 6.13.4 6.13.x ✓ 6.14

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-21771 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2025-21771?

    CVE-2025-21771 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.12 onward and has been patched in 6.12.16, 6.13.4 and 6.14. CVE-2025-21771 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-21771?

    CVE-2025-21771 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-2025-21771?

    Yes — CVE-2025-21771 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.16, 6.13.4 and 6.14. If you are running Linux kernel 6.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-21771 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-21771 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.