UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21792: High severity ubuntu/linux-aws vulnerability

Q: What systems are exposed to this issue?

Systems using an affected Ubuntu Linux kernel variant are exposed when AX.25 sockets are used and an AX.25 device is bound through the SO_BINDTODEVICE socket option. The listed kernel packages include linux, linux-aws, linux-azure, linux-fips, linux-gcp, linux-oracle, linux-kvm, and linux-aws-fips.

Q: What does an attacker need to exploit it?

The severity vector indicates local access, low privileges, and high attack complexity, with no user interaction required. Exploitation requires the ability to use AX.25 sockets and bind an AX.25 device using SO_BINDTODEVICE.

Q: Is a default configuration necessarily affected?

The provided information does not establish that default configurations are affected. The vulnerable path depends on AX.25 use and binding a device to a socket via SO_BINDTODEVICE.

Q: How can I identify potentially affected activity?

Look for kernel warnings such as "refcount_t: decrement hit 0; leaking memory" associated with AX.25 socket handling. Systems where AX.25 devices are bound through SO_BINDTODEVICE should be treated as potentially affected.

Q: What can be done before a kernel update is available?

Avoid binding AX.25 devices to sockets with the SO_BINDTODEVICE option. Restrict untrusted local users from creating or controlling AX.25 socket workloads where feasible.

Published Feb 27, 2025

Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ax25: Fix refcount leak caused by setting SOBINDTODEVICE sockopt If an AX25 device is bound to a socket by setting the SOBINDTODEVICE socket option, a refcount leak will occur in ax25release(). Commit 9fd75b66b8f6 ("ax25: Fix refcount leaks caused by ax25cbdel()") added decrement of device refcounts in ax25release(). In order for that to work correctly the refcounts must already be incremented when the device is bound to the socket. An AX25 device can be bound to a socket by either calling ax25bind() or setting SOBINDTODEVICE socket option. In both cases the refcounts should be incremented, but in fact it is done only in ax25bind(). This bug leads to the following issue reported by Syzkaller: ================================================================ refcountt: decrement hit 0; leaking memory. WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 5932 at lib/refcount.c:31 refcountwarnsaturate+0x1ed/0x210 lib/refcount.c:31 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 5932 Comm: syz-executor424 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc4-syzkaller-00110-g4099a71718b0 #0 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2~bpo12+1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:refcountwarnsaturate+0x1ed/0x210 lib/refcount.c:31 Call Trace: <TASK> refcountdec include/linux/refcount.h:336 [inline] refcountdec include/linux/refcount.h:351 [inline] reftrackerfree+0x710/0x820 lib/reftracker.c:236 netdevtrackerfree include/linux/netdevice.h:4156 [inline] netdevput include/linux/netdevice.h:4173 [inline] netdevput include/linux/netdevice.h:4169 [inline] ax25release+0x33f/0xa10 net/ax25/afax25.c:1069 sockrelease+0xb0/0x270 net/socket.c:640 sockclose+0x1c/0x30 net/socket.c:1408 ... dosyscallx64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] dosyscall64+0xcd/0x250 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entrySYSCALL64afterhwframe+0x77/0x7f ... </TASK> ================================================================ Fix the implementation of ax25setsockopt() by adding increment of refcounts for the new device bound, and decrement of refcounts for the old unbound device.

Affected Software

200 affected componentsFixes available

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-lts-xenial*

ubuntu/linux*

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-aws-hwe*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-hwe*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge*

ubuntu/linux-kvm*

ubuntu/linux-oracle*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux*

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.0*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-4.15*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-azure-edge*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-4.15*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-gke-4.15*

ubuntu/linux-gke-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-hwe*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge*

ubuntu/linux-ibm-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-kvm*

ubuntu/linux-oem*

ubuntu/linux-oracle*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.0*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.3*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-raspi-5.4*

ubuntu/linux-aws-fips*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fips*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips*

ubuntu/linux*

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-bluefield*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-gke*

ubuntu/linux-gke-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-ibm*

ubuntu/linux-ibm-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-intel-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-intel-iotg-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-iot*

ubuntu/linux-kvm*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.10*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.6*

ubuntu/linux-oracle*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.13*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-raspi*

ubuntu/linux-raspi2*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.11*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.15*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.8*

ubuntu/linux-xilinx-zynqmp*

ubuntu/linux-aws-fips*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fips*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips*

ubuntu/linux*

ubuntu/linux-allwinner-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-aws*

ubuntu/linux-aws-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8<6.8.0-1035.37~22.04.1

6.8.0-1035.37~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-azure*

ubuntu/linux-azure-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8<6.8.0-1034.39~22.04.1

6.8.0-1034.39~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-gcp*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8<6.8.0-1036.38~22.04.1

6.8.0-1036.38~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-gke*

ubuntu/linux-gkeop*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.8<6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1

6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-ibm*

ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8<6.8.0-1033.33~22.04.1

6.8.0-1033.33~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-intel-iot-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-intel-iotg*

ubuntu/linux-kvm*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8<6.8.0-78.78.1~22.04.1

6.8.0-78.78.1~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-nvidia*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.8<6.8.0-1035.38~22.04.1

6.8.0-1035.38~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra*

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra-igx*

ubuntu/linux-oem-5.17*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.0*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.1*

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-oracle*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8<6.8.0-1032.33~22.04.1

6.8.0-1032.33~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-raspi*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8<6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1

6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-starfive-5.19*

ubuntu/linux-starfive-6.2*

ubuntu/linux-starfive-6.5*

ubuntu/linux-xilinx-zynqmp*

ubuntu/linux-bluefield*

ubuntu/linux-intel-iot-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8<6.8.1-1030.31~22.04.1

6.8.1-1030.31~22.04.1

ubuntu/linux-aws-fips*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fips*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips*

ubuntu/linux-aws-fips*

ubuntu/linux-azure-fips*

ubuntu/linux-fips*

ubuntu/linux-gcp-fips*

ubuntu/linux<6.8.0-78.78

6.8.0-78.78

ubuntu/linux-aws<6.8.0-1035.37

6.8.0-1035.37

ubuntu/linux-azure<6.8.0-1034.39

6.8.0-1034.39

ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11<6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1

6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia<6.8.0-1022.23

6.8.0-1022.23

ubuntu/linux-gcp<6.8.0-1036.38

6.8.0-1036.38

ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.11<6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1

6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-gke<6.8.0-1032.36

6.8.0-1032.36

ubuntu/linux-gkeop<6.8.0-1019.21

6.8.0-1019.21

ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.11<6.11.0-26.26~24.04.1

6.11.0-26.26~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-ibm<6.8.0-1033.33

6.8.0-1033.33

ubuntu/linux-intel*

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency<6.8.0-78.78.1

6.8.0-78.78.1

ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11<6.11.0-1014.15~24.04.1

6.11.0-1014.15~24.04.1

ubuntu/linux-nvidia<6.8.0-1035.38

6.8.0-1035.38

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.11<6.11.0-1010.10

6.11.0-1010.10

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-lowlatency<6.8.0-1035.38.1

6.8.0-1035.38.1

ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra<6.8.0-1009.9

6.8.0-1009.9

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.11<6.11.0-1022.22

6.11.0-1022.22

ubuntu/linux-oem-6.8*

ubuntu/linux-oracle<6.8.0-1032.33

6.8.0-1032.33

ubuntu/linux-raspi<6.8.0-1035.39

6.8.0-1035.39

ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-realtime*

ubuntu/linux-riscv*

ubuntu/linux-xilinx<6.8.0-1017.18

6.8.0-1017.18

ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime<6.8.0-2028.29

6.8.0-2028.29

ubuntu/linux-realtime<6.8.1-1030.31

6.8.1-1030.31

ubuntu/linux-fips<6.8.0-78.78+fips1

6.8.0-78.78+fips1

ubuntu/linux-vmware*

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.37~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1034.39~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.38~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1033.33~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78.1~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.38~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1032.33~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.1-1030.31~22.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-aws to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.37
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-azure to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1034.39
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1022.23
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gcp to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.38
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-1015.15~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gke to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1032.36
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-gkeop to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1019.21
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-hwe-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-26.26~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-ibm to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1033.33
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-lowlatency to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-1014.15~24.04.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-nvidia to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.38
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-nvidia-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-1010.10
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-nvidia-lowlatency to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.38.1
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegra to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1009.9
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-oem-6.11 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.11.0-1022.22
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-oracle to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1032.33
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-raspi to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1035.39
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-xilinx to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-1017.18
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-2028.29
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-realtime to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.1-1030.31
Upgrade
Upgrade ubuntu/linux-fips to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.8.0-78.78+fips1
Compensating control
Fix ax25_setsockopt() handling of SO_BINDTODEVICE so it increments the reference count for the newly bound AX25 device and decrements the reference count for the previously bound device.

Event History

Feb 27, 2025

CVE Published

via OSV·03:15 AM

Data Sourced

via OSV·03:15 AM

DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

What systems are exposed to this issue?

Systems using an affected Ubuntu Linux kernel variant are exposed when AX.25 sockets are used and an AX.25 device is bound through the SO_BINDTODEVICE socket option. The listed kernel packages include linux, linux-aws, linux-azure, linux-fips, linux-gcp, linux-oracle, linux-kvm, and linux-aws-fips.

What does an attacker need to exploit it?

The severity vector indicates local access, low privileges, and high attack complexity, with no user interaction required. Exploitation requires the ability to use AX.25 sockets and bind an AX.25 device using SO_BINDTODEVICE.

Is a default configuration necessarily affected?

The provided information does not establish that default configurations are affected. The vulnerable path depends on AX.25 use and binding a device to a socket via SO_BINDTODEVICE.

How can I identify potentially affected activity?

Look for kernel warnings such as "refcount_t: decrement hit 0; leaking memory" associated with AX.25 socket handling. Systems where AX.25 devices are bound through SO_BINDTODEVICE should be treated as potentially affected.

What can be done before a kernel update is available?

Avoid binding AX.25 devices to sockets with the SO_BINDTODEVICE option. Restrict untrusted local users from creating or controlling AX.25 socket workloads where feasible.

UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21792: High severity ubuntu/linux-aws vulnerability

Affected Software

Remediation

Event History

Frequently Asked Questions

What systems are exposed to this issue?

What does an attacker need to exploit it?

Is a default configuration necessarily affected?

How can I identify potentially affected activity?

What can be done before a kernel update is available?

Company

Resources

Contact

Frequently Asked Questions

What systems are exposed to this issue?

What does an attacker need to exploit it?

Is a default configuration necessarily affected?

How can I identify potentially affected activity?

What can be done before a kernel update is available?