CVE-2025-21979: linux kernel Use-After-Free — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: cancel wiphy_work before freeing wiphy A wiphy_work can be queued from the moment the wiphy is allocated and initialized (i.e. wiphy_new_nm). When a wiphy_work is queued, the rdev::wiphy_work is getting queued. If wiphy_free is called before the rdev::wiphy_work had a chance to run, the wiphy memory will be freed, and then when it eventally gets to run it'll use invalid memory. Fix this by canceling the work before freeing the wiphy.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-416 Use After Free

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	6.1.57 — 6.1.132
linux	linux_kernel	6.5 — 6.6.84
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.12.20
linux	linux_kernel	6.13 — 6.13.8
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0272d4af7f92997541d8bbf4c51918b93ded6ee2 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72d520476a2fab6f3489e8388ab524985d6c4b90 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75d262ad3c36d52852d764588fcd887f0fcd9138 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8930a3e1568cf534f86c8ed2def817c6d0528fc1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5158d67bff06cb6fea31be39aeb319fd908ed8e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dea22de162058216a90f2706f0d0b36f0ff309fd https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-21979? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: cancel wiphy_work before freeing wiphy A wiphy_work can be queued from the moment the wiphy is allocated and initialized (i.e. wiphy_new_nm). When a wiphy_work is queued, the rdev::wiphy_work is getting queued. If wiphy_free is called before the rdev::wiphy_work had a chance to run, the wiphy memory will be freed, and then when it eventally gets to run it'll use invalid memory. Fix this by canceling the work before freeing the wiphy. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-21979? +

CVE-2025-21979 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-21979? +

CVE-2025-21979 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-2025-21979? +

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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