Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k

CVE-2025-21693

7.8 · HIGH

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: zswap: properly synchronize freeing resources during CPU hotunplug In zswap_compress() and zswap_decompress(), the per-CPU…

Published Feb 10, 2025CWE-416EPSS 0.20%

Overview

CVE-2025-21693 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on February 10, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

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

mm: zswap: properly synchronize freeing resources during CPU hotunplug

In zswap_compress() and zswap_decompress(), the per-CPU acomp_ctx of the

current CPU at the beginning of the operation is retrieved and used

throughout. However, since neither preemption nor migration are disabled,

it is possible that the operation continues on a different CPU.

If the original CPU is hotunplugged while the acomp_ctx is still in use,

we run into a UAF bug as some of the resources attached to the acomp_ctx

are freed during hotunplug in zswap_cpu_comp_dead() (i.e.

acomp_ctx.buffer, acomp_ctx.req, or acomp_ctx.acomp).

The problem was introduced in commit 1ec3b5fe6eec ("mm/zswap: move to use

crypto_acomp API for hardware acceleration") when the switch to the

crypto_acomp API was made. Prior to that, the per-CPU crypto_comp was

retrieved using get_cpu_ptr() which disables preemption and makes sure the

CPU cannot go away from under

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-21693?

CVE-2025-21693 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on February 10, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-21693?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-21693?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2025-21693?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-21693 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

Related HIGH CVEs from 2025

View all