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CVE-2025-21751

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.21%

Last modified

CVE-2025-21751 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: HWS, change error flow on matcher disconnect Currently, when firmware failure occurs during matcher disconnect flow, the error flow of the function reconnects the matcher back and returns an error, which continues running the calling function and eventually frees the matcher that is being disconnected. This leads to a case where we have a freed matcher on the matchers list, which in turn leads to use-after-free and eventual crash. This patch fixes that by not trying to reconnect the matcher back when some FW command fails during disconnect. Note that we're dealing here with FW error. We can't overcome this problem. EPSS estimates a 0.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: HWS, change error flow on matcher disconnect Currently, when firmware failure occurs during matcher disconnect flow, the error flow of the function reconnects the matcher back and returns an error, which continues running the calling function and eventually frees the matcher that is being disconnected. This leads to a case where we have a freed matcher on the matchers list, which in turn leads to use-after-free and eventual crash. This patch fixes that by not trying to reconnect the matcher back when some FW command fails during disconnect. Note that we're dealing here with FW error. We can't overcome this problem. This might lead to bad steering state (e.g. wrong connection between matchers), and will also lead to resource leakage, as it is the case with any other error handling during resource destruction. However, the goal here is to allow the driver to continue and not crash the machine with use-after-free error.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.21%

11.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
LinuxLinux Kernel< 6.13.3

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-21751?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: HWS, change error flow on matcher disconnect Currently, when firmware failure occurs during matcher disconnect flow, the error flow of the function reconnects the matcher back and returns an error, which continues running the calling function and eventually frees the matcher that is being disconnected. This leads to a case where we have a freed matcher on the matchers list, which in turn leads to use-after-free and eventual crash. This patch fixes that by not trying to reconnect the matcher back when some FW command fails during disconnect. Note that we're dealing here with FW error. We can't overcome this problem. This might lead to bad steering state (e.g. wrong connection between matchers), and will also lead to resource leakage, as it is the case with any other error handling during resource destruction. However, the goal here is to allow the driver to continue and not crash the machine with use-after-free error.
How severe is CVE-2025-21751?
CVE-2025-21751 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.21% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-21751?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-21751?

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Source: NVD / NIST