CVE-2025-21681: openvswitch: fix lockup on tx to unregistering netdev with carrier

Published Jan 31, 2025
·
Updated

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

openvswitch: fix lockup on tx to unregistering netdev with carrier

Commit in a fixes tag attempted to fix the issue in the following sequence of calls:

dooutput -> ovsvportsend -> devqueuexmit -> devqueuexmit -> netdevcorepicktx -> skbtxhash

When device is unregistering, the 'dev->realnumtxqueues' goes to zero and the 'while (unlikely(hash >= qcount))' loop inside the 'skbtxhash' becomes infinite, locking up the core forever.

But unfortunately, checking just the carrier status is not enough to fix the issue, because some devices may still be in unregistering state while reporting carrier status OK.

One example of such device is a net/dummy. It sets carrier ON on start, but it doesn't implement .ndostop to set the carrier off. And it makes sense, because dummy doesn't really have a carrier. Therefore, while this device is unregistering, it's still easy to hit the infinite loop in the skbtxhash() from the OVS datapath. There might be other drivers that do the same, but dummy by itself is important for the OVS ecosystem, because it is frequently used as a packet sink for tcpdump while debugging OVS deployments. And when the issue is hit, the only way to recover is to reboot.

Fix that by also checking if the device is running. The running state is handled by the net core during unregistering, so it covers unregistering case better, and we don't really need to send packets to devices that are not running anyway.

While only checking the running state might be enough, the carrier check is preserved. The running and the carrier states seem disjoined throughout the code and different drivers. And other core functions like devdirectxmit() check both before attempting to transmit a packet. So, it seems safer to check both flags in OVS as well.

Affected Software

15 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Kernel
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1
debian/linux-6.1
6.1.129-1~deb11u1
Linux Linux kernel>=6.1.25<6.1.127
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2.12<6.6.74
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.11
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc6
Linux Linux kernel=6.13-rc7
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.76.1-1
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.64.2-9

Event History

Jan 31, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·11:25 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·11:25 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·12:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Mar 14, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
SeverityAffected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
DescriptionSeverity
Apr 27, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:32 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-21681?

CVE-2025-21681 has been classified with a moderate severity level due to its potential impact on system stability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-21681?

To address CVE-2025-21681, upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel that includes the fix for this vulnerability.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-21681?

CVE-2025-21681 affects the Linux kernel, particularly those utilizing openvswitch functionalities.

4

What are the consequences of not fixing CVE-2025-21681?

Failure to resolve CVE-2025-21681 may lead to network disruptions and possible system lockups when unregistering network devices.

5

Is there a specific version of the Linux kernel that addresses CVE-2025-21681?

Yes, the fix for CVE-2025-21681 is included in the latest stable releases of the Linux kernel.

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