CVE-2025-21888

Kernel warning via invalid DMA unmapping

Published Mar 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper DMA unmapping in the Linux kernel allows local users to trigger a kernel warning by deregistering an mlx5 device-memory MR. In mlx5_free_priv_descs(), a device-memory MR without an associated umem follows the ordinary-memory branch, causing dma_unmap_single() to process an address that was never mapped. The path requires local low-privilege access to an mlx5 RDMA device with device memory; the documented consequence is a kernel warning.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper DMA unmapping in the Linux kernel allows local users to trigger a kernel warning by deregistering an mlx5 device-memory MR. In mlx5_free_priv_descs(), a device-memory MR without an associated umem follows the ordinary-memory branch, causing dma_unmap_single() to process an address that was never mapped. The path requires local low-privilege access to an mlx5 RDMA device with device memory; the documented consequence is a kernel warning.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21888
Published
Mar 27, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.13
  2. Affected versionversion=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <0bd34bdd468e93a779c403de3cf7d43ee633b3e0
  3. Affected versionversion=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <abc7b3f1f056d69a8f11d6dceecc0c9549ace770
  4. Affected versionversion=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <f1298cad47ae29828c5c5be77e733ccfcaef6a7f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.13; version=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <0bd34bdd468e93a779c403de3cf7d43ee633b3e0; version=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <abc7b3f1f056d69a8f11d6dceecc0c9549ace770; version=f18ec422311767738ef4033b61e91cae07163b22 <f1298cad47ae29828c5c5be77e733ccfcaef6a7f

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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