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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2025-21778: tracing: Do not allow mmap() of persistent ring buffer

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • 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: 0.21% (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 129fe718819cc5e24ea2f489db9ccd4371f0c6f6, cf5aa560e5c7628b57c928741d7e6a9a0f6f0e67, e8dff5f73912513fc9b52ab992d861517c9a9975.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.8, NVD 5.5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 129fe718819cc5e24ea2f489db9ccd4371f0c6f6, cf5aa560e5c7628b57c928741d7e6a9a0f6f0e67, e8dff5f73912513fc9b52ab992d861517c9a9975 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: tracing: Do not allow mmap() of persistent ring buffer When trying to mmap a trace instance buffer that is attached to reserve_mem, it would crash: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffe97bd00025c8 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 2862f3067 P4D 2862f3067 PUD 0 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT_RT SMP PTI CPU: 4 UID: 0 PID: 981 Comm: mmap-rb Not tainted 6.14.0-rc2-test-00003-g7f1a5e3fbf9e-dirty #233 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:validate_page_before_insert+0x5/0xb0 Code: e2 01 89 d0 c3 cc cc cc cc 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 0f 1f 44 00 00 <48> 8b 46 08 a8 01 75 67 66 90 48 89 f0 8b 50 34 85 d2 74 76 48 89 RSP: 0018:ffffb148c2f3f968 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: ffff9fa5d3322000 RBX: ffff9fa5ccff9c08 RCX: 00000000b879ed29 RDX: ffffe97bd00025c0 RSI: ffffe97bd00025c0 RDI: ffff9fa5ccff9c08 RBP: ffffb148c2f3f9f0 R08: 0000000000000004 R09: 0000000000000004 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000200 R12: 0000000000000000 R13: 00007f16a18d5000 R14: ffff9fa5c48db6a8 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 00007f16a1b54740(0000) GS:ffff9fa73df00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: ffffe97bd00025c8 CR3: 00000001048c6006 CR4: 0000000000172ef0 Call Trace: <TASK> ? __die_body.cold+0x19/0x1f ? __die+0x2e/0x40 ? page_fault_oops+0x157/0x2b0 ? search_module_extables+0x53/0x80 ? validate_page_before_insert+0x5/0xb0 ? kernelmode_fixup_or_oops.isra.0+0x5f/0x70 ? __bad_area_nosemaphore+0x16e/0x1b0 ? bad_area_nosemaphore+0x16/0x20 ? do_kern_addr_fault+0x77/0x90 ? exc_page_fault+0x22b/0x230 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x2b/0x30 ? validate_page_before_insert+0x5/0xb0 ? vm_insert_pages+0x151/0x400 __rb_map_vma+0x21f/0x3f0 ring_buffer_map+0x21b/0x2f0 tracing_buffers_mmap+0x70/0xd0 __mmap_region+0x6f0/0xbd0 mmap_region+0x7f/0x130 do_mmap+0x475/0x610 vm_mmap_pgoff+0xf2/0x1d0 ksys_mmap_pgoff+0x166/0x200 __x64_sys_mmap+0x37/0x50 x64_sys_call+0x1670/0x1d70 do_syscall_64+0xbb/0x1d0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f The reason was that the code that maps the ring buffer pages to user space has: page = virt_to_page((void *)cpu_buffer->subbuf_ids[s]); And uses that in: vm_insert_pages(vma, vma->vm_start, pages, &nr_pages); But virt_to_page() does not work with vmap()'d memory which is what the persistent ring buffer has. It is rather trivial to allow this, but for now just disable mmap() of instances that have their ring buffer from the reserve_mem option. If an mmap() is performed on a persistent buffer it will return -ENODEV just like it would if the .mmap field wasn't defined in the file_operations structure.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Feb 26, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 11th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.5
CNA · Linux
7.8
2.3 point gap

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

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

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  • 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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When you'll hear from us

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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.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

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

  • linux linux kernel6.12 and later · before 6.12.16
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.13.4
  • linux linux kernel6.14

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

    • 6.12affected
    • 9b7bdf6f6ece6ea888cc7d2f02c00b403b66a119 and later · before e8dff5f73912513fc9b52ab992d861517c9a9975affected · git
    • 9b7bdf6f6ece6ea888cc7d2f02c00b403b66a119 and later · before cf5aa560e5c7628b57c928741d7e6a9a0f6f0e67affected · git
    • 9b7bdf6f6ece6ea888cc7d2f02c00b403b66a119 and later · before 129fe718819cc5e24ea2f489db9ccd4371f0c6f6affected · git
    • before 6.12not affected · semver
    • 6.12.16 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
    • 6.13.4 and later · up to and including 6.13.*not affected · semver
    • 6.14 and laternot affected · original_commit_for_fix

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.16-16.12.16-1

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-2025-21775Feb 26, 2025 · can: ctucanfd: handle skb allocation failure
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-21777Feb 26, 2025 · ring-buffer: Validate the persistent meta data subbuf array
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-21781Feb 26, 2025 · batman-adv: fix panic during interface removal
    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 / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux129fe718819cc5e24ea2f489db9ccd4371f0c6f6Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxcf5aa560e5c7628b57c928741d7e6a9a0f6f0e67Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxe8dff5f73912513fc9b52ab992d861517c9a9975Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.12.16-1 · Debian:13Package 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
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

—

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

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

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

Show all references (2 more)

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

All records