CVE-2025-21979

Local memory corruption via wiphy teardown race

Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel cfg80211 subsystem allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a wiphy teardown race. wiphy_free releases the wiphy object without canceling queued rdev::wiphy_work, so deferred work can dereference the freed allocation. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and a reachable wireless-device allocation and teardown path; successful corruption can disclose or modify kernel data or crash the system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel cfg80211 subsystem allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a wiphy teardown race. wiphy_free releases the wiphy object without canceling queued rdev::wiphy_work, so deferred work can dereference the freed allocation. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and a reachable wireless-device allocation and teardown path; successful corruption can disclose or modify kernel data or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21979
Published
Apr 1, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 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=3fcc6d7d5f40dad56dee7bde787b7e23edd4b93c <0272d4af7f92997541d8bbf4c51918b93ded6ee2
  2. Affected versionversion=6.1.57 <6.1.132
  3. Affected versionversion=6.5
  4. Affected versionversion=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <72d520476a2fab6f3489e8388ab524985d6c4b90
  5. Affected versionversion=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <75d262ad3c36d52852d764588fcd887f0fcd9138
  6. Affected versionversion=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <a5158d67bff06cb6fea31be39aeb319fd908ed8e
  7. Affected versionversion=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <dea22de162058216a90f2706f0d0b36f0ff309fd
  8. Affected versionversion=ddb1bfbf4ab5c753954d0cd728253b642934a9f2 <8930a3e1568cf534f86c8ed2def817c6d0528fc1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3fcc6d7d5f40dad56dee7bde787b7e23edd4b93c <0272d4af7f92997541d8bbf4c51918b93ded6ee2; version=6.1.57 <6.1.132; version=6.5; version=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <72d520476a2fab6f3489e8388ab524985d6c4b90; version=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <75d262ad3c36d52852d764588fcd887f0fcd9138; version=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <a5158d67bff06cb6fea31be39aeb319fd908ed8e; version=a3ee4dc84c4e9d14cb34dad095fd678127aca5b6 <dea22de162058216a90f2706f0d0b36f0ff309fd; version=ddb1bfbf4ab5c753954d0cd728253b642934a9f2 <8930a3e1568cf534f86c8ed2def817c6d0528fc1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.1OracleCVSS: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

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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-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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