CVE-2025-21980

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched: address a potential NULL pointer dereference in the GRED scheduler. If kzalloc in gred_init returns a NULL pointer, the code follows the error handling path, invoking gred_destroy. This, in turn, calls gred_offload, where memset could receive a NULL pointer as input, potentially leading to a kernel crash. When table->opt is NULL in gred_init(), gred_change_table_def() is not called yet, so it is not necessary to call ->ndo_setup_tc() in gred_offload().

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-04-01
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

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2025-21980 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.132, 6.6.84, 6.12.20, 6.13.8, 6.14 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.16
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.132 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.84 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.20 6.12.x ✓ 6.13.8 6.13.x ✓ 6.14

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2025-21980 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-2025-21980?

    CVE-2025-21980 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.16 onward and has been patched in 6.1.132, 6.6.84, 6.12.20 and others. CVE-2025-21980 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-21980?

    CVE-2025-21980 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-2025-21980?

    Yes — CVE-2025-21980 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.132, 6.6.84, 6.12.20 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2025-21980 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2025-21980 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →

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