CVE-2025-21922: ppp: Fix KMSAN uninit-value warning with bpf

Published Apr 1, 2025
·
Updated

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

ppp: Fix KMSAN uninit-value warning with bpf

Syzbot caught an "KMSAN: uninit-value" warning [1], which is caused by the ppp driver not initializing a 2-byte header when using socket filter.

The following code can generate a PPP filter BPF program: ''' struct bpfprogram fp; pcapt handle; handle = pcapopendead(DLTPPPPPPD, 65535); pcapcompile(handle, &fp, "ip and outbound", 0, 0); bpfdump(&fp, 1); ''' Its output is: ''' (000) ldh [2] (001) jeq #0x21 jt 2 jf 5 (002) ldb [0] (003) jeq #0x1 jt 4 jf 5 (004) ret #65535 (005) ret #0 ''' Wen can find similar code at the following link: https://github.com/ppp-project/ppp/blob/master/pppd/options.c#L1680 The maintainer of this code repository is also the original maintainer of the ppp driver.

As you can see the BPF program skips 2 bytes of data and then reads the 'Protocol' field to determine if it's an IP packet. Then it read the first byte of the first 2 bytes to determine the direction.

The issue is that only the first byte indicating direction is initialized in current ppp driver code while the second byte is not initialized.

For normal BPF programs generated by libpcap, uninitialized data won't be used, so it's not a problem. However, for carefully crafted BPF programs, such as those generated by syzkaller [2], which start reading from offset 0, the uninitialized data will be used and caught by KMSAN.

[1] https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=853242d9c9917165d791 [2] https://syzkaller.appspot.com/text?tag=ReproC&x=11994913980000

Affected Software

17 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Foundation Linux Kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=2.6.12<5.4.291
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.235
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.179
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.131
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.83
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.19
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.13.7
Linux Linux kernel=6.14-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.14-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.14-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.14-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.14-rc5
Microsoft cbl2 kernel 5.15.176.3-3<5.15.180.1-1
5.15.180.1-1
Microsoft cbl2 kernel 5.15.180.1-1<5.15.180.1-1
5.15.180.1-1
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.85.1-2<6.6.85.1-2
6.6.85.1-2
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.82.1-1<6.6.85.1-2
6.6.85.1-2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.15.180.1-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.6.85.1-2

Event History

Apr 1, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:40 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:40 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
May 5, 2025
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
Description
Updated
via Microsoft·07:00 AM
DescriptionSeverity

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-21922?

CVE-2025-21922 is classified as a low-severity vulnerability affecting the Linux kernel.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-21922?

To fix CVE-2025-21922, ensure that you are running an updated version of the Linux kernel that includes the relevant patches.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-21922?

CVE-2025-21922 affects systems running vulnerable versions of the Linux kernel with the ppp driver.

4

What are the implications of CVE-2025-21922?

The implications of CVE-2025-21922 include potential stability issues due to uninitialized values when using socket filters.

5

When was CVE-2025-21922 announced?

CVE-2025-21922 was announced following a warning identified by Syzbot regarding uninitialized values in the ppp driver.

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