🛡️ CVE-2025-21884 on Debian — linux

⚪ Unknown ✅ No Known Exploit OSV
N/A
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: better track kernel sockets lifetime While kernel sockets are dismantled during pernet_operations->exit(), their freeing can be delayed by any tx packets still held in qdisc or device queues, due to skb_set_owner_w() prior calls. This then trigger the following warning from ref_tracker_dir_exit() [1] To fix this, make sure that kernel sockets own a reference on net->passive. Add sk_net_refcnt_upgrade() helper, used whenever a kernel socket is converted to a refcounted one. [1] [ 136.263918][ T35] ref_tracker: net notrefcnt@ffff8880638f01e0 has 1/2 users at [ 136.263918][ T35] sk_alloc+0x2b3/0x370 [ 136.263918][ T35] inet6_create+0x6ce/0x10f0 [ 136.263918][ T35] __sock_create+0x4c0/0xa30 [ 136.263918][ T35] inet_ctl_sock_create+0xc2/0x250 [ 136.263918][ T35] igmp6_net_init+0x39/0x390 [ 136.263918][ T35] ops_init+0x31e/0x590 [ 136.263918][ T35] setup_net+0x287/0x9e0 [ 136.263918][ T35] copy_net_ns+0x33f/0x570 [ 136.263918][ T35] create_new_namespaces+0x425/0x7b0 [ 136.263918][ T35] unshare_nsproxy_namespaces+0x124/0x180 [ 136.263918][ T35] ksys_unshare+0x57d/0xa70 [ 136.263918][ T35] __x64_sys_unshare+0x38/0x40 [ 136.263918][ T35] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 [ 136.263918][ T35] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f [ 136.263918][ T35] [ 136.343488][ T35] ref_tracker: net notrefcnt@ffff8880638f01e0 has 1/2 users at [ 136.343488][ T35] sk_alloc+0x2b3/0x370 [ 136.343488][ T35] inet6_create+0x6ce/0x10f0 [ 136.343488][ T35] __sock_create+0x4c0/0xa30 [ 136.343488][ T35] inet_ctl_sock_create+0xc2/0x250 [ 136.343488][ T35] ndisc_net_init+0xa7/0x2b0 [ 136.343488][ T35] ops_init+0x31e/0x590 [ 136.343488][ T35] setup_net+0x287/0x9e0 [ 136.343488][ T35] copy_net_ns+0x33f/0x570 [ 136.343488][ T35] create_new_namespaces+0x425/0x7b0 [ 136.343488][ T35] unshare_nsproxy_namespaces+0x124/0x180 [ 136.343488][ T35] ksys_unshare+0x57d/0xa70 [ 136.343488][ T35] __x64_sys_unshare+0x38/0x40 [ 136.343488][ T35] do_syscall_64+0xf3/0x230 [ 136.343488][ T35] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

Distribution advisory

This page covers CVE-2025-21884 as tracked by Debian, for the package linux. The fix is available in version 6.16.3-1; earlier versions remain affected.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, 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

DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21884 is recorded against 1 package.

  • linux (fixed in 6.16.3-1)

Timeline and source

Published on 27 March 2025 and last revised on 4 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from OSV.

References

security-tracker.debian.org (Advisory)

CVE-2025-21884 on other distributions

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

Details

Severity Unknown
CVSS Score N/A
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source OSV
Published 2025-03-27
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-04
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
linux 6.16.3-1

Similar Threats

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