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CVE-2025-21820

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: xilinx_uartps: split sysrq handling lockdep detects the following circular locking dependency: CPU 0…

Published Feb 27, 2025CWE-667EPSS 0.17%

Overview

CVE-2025-21820 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on February 27, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. 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:

tty: xilinx_uartps: split sysrq handling

lockdep detects the following circular locking dependency:

CPU 0 CPU 1

========================== ============================

cdns_uart_isr() printk()

uart_port_lock(port) console_lock()

cdns_uart_console_write()

if (!port->sysrq)

uart_port_lock(port)

uart_handle_break()

port->sysrq = ...

uart_handle_sysrq_char()

printk()

console_lock()

The fixed commit attempts to avoid this situation by only taking the

port lock in cdns_uart_console_write if port->sysrq unset. However, if

(as shown above) cdns_uart_console_write runs before port->sysrq is set,

then it will try to take the port lock anyway. This may result in a

deadlock.

Fix this by splitting sysrq handling into two parts. We use the prepare

helper under the port lock and defer handling until w

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-2025-21820?

CVE-2025-21820 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on February 27, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-21820?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-21820?

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-2025-21820?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-21820 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.

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