NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-21722: nilfs2: do not force clear folio if buffer is referenced

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.27% (FIRST EPSS).
Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
Fixed version: Linux Linux 1098bb8d52419d262a3358d099a1598a920b730f, 19296737024cd220a1d6590bf4c092bca8c99497, 4d042811c72f71be7c14726db2c72b67025a7cb5; cbl2 kernel 5.15.176.3-3 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.180.1-1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 1098bb8d52419d262a3358d099a1598a920b730f, 19296737024cd220a1d6590bf4c092bca8c99497, 4d042811c72f71be7c14726db2c72b67025a7cb5; cbl2 kernel 5.15.176.3-3 on CBL Mariner 2.0 5.15.180.1-1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nilfs2: do not force clear folio if buffer is referenced Patch series "nilfs2: protect busy buffer heads from being force-cleared". This series fixes the buffer head state inconsistency issues reported by syzbot that occurs when the filesystem is corrupted and falls back to read-only, and the associated buffer head use-after-free issue. This patch (of 2): Syzbot has reported that after nilfs2 detects filesystem corruption and falls back to read-only, inconsistencies in the buffer state may occur. One of the inconsistencies is that when nilfs2 calls mark_buffer_dirty() to set a data or metadata buffer as dirty, but it detects that the buffer is not in the uptodate state: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 6049 at fs/buffer.c:1177 mark_buffer_dirty+0x2e5/0x520 fs/buffer.c:1177 ... Call Trace: <TASK> nilfs_palloc_commit_alloc_entry+0x4b/0x160 fs/nilfs2/alloc.c:598 nilfs_ifile_create_inode+0x1dd/0x3a0 fs/nilfs2/ifile.c:73 nilfs_new_inode+0x254/0x830 fs/nilfs2/inode.c:344 nilfs_mkdir+0x10d/0x340 fs/nilfs2/namei.c:218 vfs_mkdir+0x2f9/0x4f0 fs/namei.c:4257 do_mkdirat+0x264/0x3a0 fs/namei.c:4280 __do_sys_mkdirat fs/namei.c:4295 [inline] __se_sys_mkdirat fs/namei.c:4293 [inline] __x64_sys_mkdirat+0x87/0xa0 fs/namei.c:4293 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f The other is when nilfs_btree_propagate(), which propagates the dirty state to the ancestor nodes of a b-tree that point to a dirty buffer, detects that the origin buffer is not dirty, even though it should be: WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 5245 at fs/nilfs2/btree.c:2089 nilfs_btree_propagate+0xc79/0xdf0 fs/nilfs2/btree.c:2089 ... Call Trace: <TASK> nilfs_bmap_propagate+0x75/0x120 fs/nilfs2/bmap.c:345 nilfs_collect_file_data+0x4d/0xd0 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:587 nilfs_segctor_apply_buffers+0x184/0x340 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1006 nilfs_segctor_scan_file+0x28c/0xa50 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1045 nilfs_segctor_collect_blocks fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1216 [inline] nilfs_segctor_collect fs/nilfs2/segment.c:1540 [inline] nilfs_segctor_do_construct+0x1c28/0x6b90 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2115 nilfs_segctor_construct+0x181/0x6b0 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2479 nilfs_segctor_thread_construct fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2587 [inline] nilfs_segctor_thread+0x69e/0xe80 fs/nilfs2/segment.c:2701 kthread+0x2f0/0x390 kernel/kthread.c:389 ret_from_fork+0x4b/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:244 </TASK> Both of these issues are caused by the callbacks that handle the page/folio write requests, forcibly clear various states, including the working state of the buffers they hold, at unexpected times when they detect read-only fallback. Fix these issues by checking if the buffer is referenced before clearing the page/folio state, and skipping the clear if it is.

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Memory safety

BDU:2025-04375

Published: Feb 27, 2025
Updated: Oct 21, 2026
EPSS: 0.2% · 19th percentile
CWE: CWE-416

Report tools

JSON

Action score

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS: 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV: 0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS: 0 / 30 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD: —
CNA · Linux: 7.8; NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
No public exploit code on record
A fix has been released

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

Vendor	Product	CPE
linux	linux kernel	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

linux linux kernel3.10 and later · before 5.4.291
linux linux kernel5.5 and later · before 5.10.235
linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.179
linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.129
linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.12.13
linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.13.2

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

Linux Linux
- 3.10affected
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 7d0544bacc11d6aa26ecd7debf9353193c7a3328affected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 4d042811c72f71be7c14726db2c72b67025a7cb5affected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before f51ff43c4c5a6c8e72d0aca89e4d5e688938412faffected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 19296737024cd220a1d6590bf4c092bca8c99497affected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 8458c686d50a804611b97038dd6e75a474ac2221affected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 1098bb8d52419d262a3358d099a1598a920b730faffected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before 557ccf5e49f1fb848a29698585bcab2e50a597efaffected · git
- 8c26c4e2694a163d525976e804d81cd955bbb40c and later · before ca76bb226bf47ff04c782cacbd299f12ddee1ec1affected · git
- before 3.10not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Ecosystem	Package	Affected range	Fix
Debian:12	linux	before 6.1.129-1	6.1.129-1
Debian:13	linux	before 6.12.13-1	6.12.13-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
90Now
CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
89Now
CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

← EarlierCVE-2025-21718Feb 27, 2025 · net: rose: fix timer races against user threads
28Monitor
← EarlierCVE-2025-21719Feb 27, 2025 · ipmr: do not call mr_mfc_uses_dev() for unres entries
28Monitor
Later →CVE-2025-21723Feb 27, 2025 · scsi: mpi3mr: Fix possible crash when setting up bsg fails
22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / package	Fixed version	Source
Linux Linux	1098bb8d52419d262a3358d099a1598a920b730f	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	19296737024cd220a1d6590bf4c092bca8c99497	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	4d042811c72f71be7c14726db2c72b67025a7cb5	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	557ccf5e49f1fb848a29698585bcab2e50a597ef	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	7d0544bacc11d6aa26ecd7debf9353193c7a3328	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	8458c686d50a804611b97038dd6e75a474ac2221	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	ca76bb226bf47ff04c782cacbd299f12ddee1ec1	Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux	f51ff43c4c5a6c8e72d0aca89e4d5e688938412f	Vendor (CNA)
cbl2 kernel 5.15.176.3-3 on CBL Mariner 2.0	5.15.180.1-1 · CBL-Mariner Releases	Microsoft (MSRC)
debian:linux	6.1.129-1 · Debian:12	Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
A low-privileged account is enough.
No user action is required.
No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality: high · data can be read
Integrity: high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability: high · the service can be disrupted

Attack vector: Local
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality impact: High
Integrity impact: High
Availability impact: High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-416 · Use After Free

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Root cause

After a memory region is freed, another reference pointing to it is still used. By then, the same region may have been allocated for different data.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-416 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

1free(dev->buf);
2/* ... another thread is still running ... */
3process(dev->buf);

Fixed

1lock(&dev->lock);
2free(dev->buf);
3dev->buf = NULL;
4unlock(&dev->lock);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

Fix✗ → ✓Sep 28, 2026, 10:11 PM UTC

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

git.kernel.org/stable/c/1098bb8d52419d262a3358d099a1598a920b730f

Show all references (9 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records