CVE-2025-21973

Kernel panic via unchecked queue ring dereference

Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the bnxt Ethernet driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a queue-statistics request. The bnxt_get_queue_stats_rx and bnxt_get_queue_stats_tx callbacks dereference cp_ring and tx_ring without checking whether those rings were allocated. The path is reachable when queue statistics are requested for a down bnxt interface, where the absent rings cause a kernel oops or panic.

CVSS severity7.1
High
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

NULL pointer dereference in the bnxt Ethernet driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel through a queue-statistics request. The bnxt_get_queue_stats_rx and bnxt_get_queue_stats_tx callbacks dereference cp_ring and tx_ring without checking whether those rings were allocated. The path is reachable when queue statistics are requested for a down bnxt interface, where the absent rings cause a kernel oops or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21973
Published
Apr 1, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 1, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=6.9
  2. Affected versionversion=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <adb830085f0fc3a09a0fc8b64fed2e7c8d244665
  3. Affected versionversion=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <f059a0fd733078c3832fd0f3a3037aa5975d3d36
  4. Affected versionversion=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <f09af5fdfbd9b0fcee73aab1116904c53b199e97

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.9; version=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <adb830085f0fc3a09a0fc8b64fed2e7c8d244665; version=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <f059a0fd733078c3832fd0f3a3037aa5975d3d36; version=af7b3b4adda592cb49e202f3617454d5dda4c5b5 <f09af5fdfbd9b0fcee73aab1116904c53b199e97

Published CVSS scores

7.1UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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