CVE-2025-21643: netfs: Fix kernel async DIO
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfs: Fix kernel async DIO
Netfslib needs to be able to handle kernel-initiated asynchronous DIO that is supplied with a biovec[] array. Currently, because of the async flag, this gets passed to netfsextractuseriter() which throws a warning and fails because it only handles IOVEC and UBUF iterators. This can be triggered through a combination of cifs and a loopback blockdev with something like:
mount //my/cifs/share /foo dd if=/dev/zero of=/foo/m0 bs=4K count=1K losetup --sector-size 4096 --direct-io=on /dev/loop2046 /foo/m0 echo hello >/dev/loop2046
This causes the following to appear in syslog:
WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 109 at fs/netfs/iterator.c:50 netfsextractuseriter+0x170/0x250 [netfs]
and the write to fail.
Fix this by removing the check in netfsunbufferedwriteiterlocked() that causes async kernel DIO writes to be handled as userspace writes. Note that this change relies on the kernel caller maintaining the existence of the biovec array (or kvec[] or folioqueue) until the op is complete.
Other sources
This CVE was automatically created from a reference found in an email or other text. If you are reading this, then this CVE entry is probably erroneous, since this text should be replaced by the official CVE description automatically.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-21643?
The severity of CVE-2025-21643 is considered medium due to its potential impact on data integrity.
How do I fix CVE-2025-21643?
To fix CVE-2025-21643, update to the latest patch released by the Linux kernel maintainers.
What versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2025-21643?
CVE-2025-21643 affects specific versions of the Linux kernel that utilize the netfs component for asynchronous DIO.
Is CVE-2025-21643 exploitable remotely?
CVE-2025-21643 is not directly exploitable remotely as it requires local access to the affected system.
What should I monitor related to CVE-2025-21643?
Monitor kernel logs for unusual activity that may indicate attempts to exploit vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-21643.