CVE-2025-21694

5.5 MEDIUM 0.2% exploit odds Fix listed Other OS & kernel

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/proc: fix softlockup in __read_vmcore (part 2) Since commit 5cbcb62dddf5 ("fs/proc: fix softlockup in __read_vmcore") the number of softlockups in __read_vmcore at kdump time have gone down, but they still happen sometimes. In a memory constrained environment like the kdump image, a softlockup is not just a harmless message, but it can interfere with things like RCU freeing memory, causing the crashdump to get stuck. The second loop in __read_vmcore has a lot more opportunities for natural sleep points, like scheduling out while waiting for a data write to happen, but apparently that is not always enough. Add a cond_resched() to the second loop in __read_vmcore to (hopefully) get rid of the softlockups.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of service disruption.
Exploit odds: 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Fix: A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

2025-02-12 14:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-10-15 02:17 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 5.5 MEDIUM (CVSS).
Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published: 2025-02-12 14:15 UTC
Last modified: 2026-10-15 02:17 UTC
Exploit probability: 0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days
Record status: Modified

Affected

Linux Kernel < 4.20
Linux Kernel < 5.4.290
Linux Kernel < 5.10.234
Linux Kernel < 5.15.177
Linux Kernel < 6.1.127
Linux Kernel < 6.6.74
Linux Kernel < 6.12.11
Linux Kernel 6.13

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 5.5

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2025-21694.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2025-21694. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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Fix and advisories

References

NVD record · CVE.org record