🛡️ CVE-2025-21695 — kernel

🟡 CVSS 4.7 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
4.7
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

platform/x86: dell-uart-backlight: fix serdev race

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

platform/x86: dell-uart-backlight: fix serdev race

The dell_uart_bl_serdev_probe() function calls devm_serdev_device_open()

before setting the client ops via serdev_device_set_client_ops(). This

ordering can trigger a NULL pointer dereference in the serdev controller's

receive_buf handler, as it assumes serdev->ops is valid when

SERPORT_ACTIVE is set.

This is similar to the issue fixed in commit 5e700b384ec1

("platform/chrome: cros_ec_uart: properly fix race condition") where

devm_serdev_device_open() was called before fully initializing the

device.

Fix the race by ensuring client ops are set before enabling the port via

devm_serdev_device_open().

Note, serdev_device_set_baudrate() and serdev_device_set_flow_control()

calls should be after the devm_serdev_device_open() call.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

Affected software

CVE-2025-21695 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.10.0 up to 6.12.11)
  • linux-kernel

Timeline and source

Published on 12 February 2025 and last revised on 12 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

CVE-2025-21695 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Medium
CVSS Score 4.7
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2025-02-12
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-12

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.10.0 6.12.11
linux-kernel — —

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