Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/pseries/iommu: Don't...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
powerpc/pseries/iommu: Don't unset window if it was never set
On pSeries, when user attempts to use the same vfio container used by
different iommu group, the spapr_tce_set_window() returns -EPERM
and the subsequent cleanup leads to the below crash.
Kernel attempted to read user page (308) - exploit attempt?
BUG: Kernel NULL pointer dereference on read at 0x00000308
Faulting instruction address: 0xc0000000001ce358
Oops: Kernel access of bad area, sig: 11 [#1]
NIP: c0000000001ce358 LR: c0000000001ce05c CTR: c00000000005add0
NIP [c0000000001ce358] spapr_tce_unset_window+0x3b8/0x510
LR [c0000000001ce05c] spapr_tce_unset_window+0xbc/0x510
Call Trace:
spapr_tce_unset_window+0xbc/0x510 (unreliable)
tce_iommu_attach_group+0x24c/0x340 [vfio_iommu_spapr_tce]
vfio_container_attach_group+0xec/0x240 [vfio]
vfio_group_fops_unl_ioctl+0x548/0xb00 [vfio]
sys_ioctl+0x754/0x1580
system_call_exception+0x13c/0x330
system_call_vectored_common+0x15c/0x2ec
--- interrupt: 3000
Fix this by having null check for the tbl passed to the
spapr_tce_unset_window().
Impact
The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash. Typical impact: denial of service via crash.
CVE-2025-21713 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-21713? CVE-2025-21713 is a medium-severity null pointer dereference vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash.
- How severe is CVE-2025-21713? CVE-2025-21713 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-21713? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-21713 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-21713 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-21713 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-21713 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.