CVE-2025-21738: linux kernel — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ata: libata-sff: Ensure that we cannot write outside the allocated buffer reveliofuzzing reported that a SCSI_IOCTL_SEND_COMMAND ioctl with out_len set to 0xd42, SCSI command set to ATA_16 PASS-THROUGH, ATA command set to ATA_NOP, and protocol set to ATA_PROT_PIO, can cause ata_pio_sector() to write outside the allocated buffer, overwriting random memory. While a ATA device is supposed to abort a ATA_NOP command, there does seem to be a bug either in libata-sff or QEMU, where either this status is not set, or the status is cleared before read by ata_sff_hsm_move(). Anyway, that is most likely a separate bug. Looking at __atapi_pio_bytes(), it already has a safety check to ensure that __atapi_pio_bytes() cannot write outside the allocated buffer. Add a similar check to ata_pio_sector(), such that also ata_pio_sector() cannot write outside the allocated buffer.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

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

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	< 6.1.129
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.78
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.14
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.13.3

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a17a9944b8d89ef03946121241870ac53ddaf45 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0dd5aade301a10f4b329fa7454fdcc2518741902 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e74e53b34b6dec5a50e1404e2680852ec6768d2 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8f8cf87059ed1905c2a5c72f8b39a4f57b11b4c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5e6e3000309359eae2a17117aa6e3c44897bf6c

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00028.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-21738? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ata: libata-sff: Ensure that we cannot write outside the allocated buffer reveliofuzzing reported that a SCSI_IOCTL_SEND_COMMAND ioctl with out_len set to 0xd42, SCSI command set to ATA_16 PASS-THROUGH, ATA command set to ATA_NOP, and protocol set to ATA_PROT_PIO, can cause ata_pio_sector() to write outside the allocated buffer, overwriting random memory. While a ATA device is supposed to abort a ATA_NOP command, there does seem to be a bug either in libata-sff or QEMU, where either this status is not set, or the status is cleared before read by ata_sff_hsm_move(). Anyway, that is most likely a separate bug. Looking at __atapi_pio_bytes(), it already has a safety check to ensure that __atapi_pio_bytes() cannot write outside the allocated buffer. Add a similar check to ata_pio_sector(), such that also ata_pio_sector() cannot write outside the allocated buffer. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-21738? +

CVE-2025-21738 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-21738? +

CVE-2025-21738 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-21738? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2025-21738