Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mptcp: fix 'scheduling while...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
mptcp: fix 'scheduling while atomic' in mptcp_pm_nl_append_new_local_addr
If multiple connection requests attempt to create an implicit mptcp
endpoint in parallel, more than one caller may end up in
mptcp_pm_nl_append_new_local_addr because none found the address in
local_addr_list during their call to mptcp_pm_nl_get_local_id. In this
case, the concurrent new_local_addr calls may delete the address entry
created by the previous caller. These deletes use synchronize_rcu, but
this is not permitted in some of the contexts where this function may be
called. During packet recv, the caller may be in a rcu read critical
section and have preemption disabled.
An example stack:
BUG: scheduling while atomic: swapper/2/0/0x00000302
Call Trace:
dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:117 (discriminator 1))
dump_stack (lib/dump_stack.c:124)
__schedule_bug (kernel/sched/core.c:5943)
schedule_debug.constprop.0 (arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:33 kernel/sched/core.c:5970)
__schedule (arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:27 include/linux/jump_label.h:207 kernel/sched/features.h:29 kernel/sched/core.c:6621)
schedule (arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:84 kernel/sched/core.c:6804 kernel/sched/core.c:6818)
schedule_timeout (kernel/time/timer.c:2160)
wait_for_completion (kernel/sched/completion.c:96 kernel/sched/completion.c:116 kernel/sched/completion.c:127 kernel/sched/completion.c:148)
__wait_rcu_gp (include/linux/rcupdate.h:311 kernel/rcu/update.c:444)
synchronize_rcu (kernel/rcu/tree.c:3609)
mptcp_pm_nl_append_new_local_addr (net/mptcp/pm_netlink.c:966 net/mptcp/pm_netlink.c:1061)
mptcp_pm_nl_get_local_id (net/mptcp/pm_netlink.c:1164)
mptcp_pm_get_local_id (net/mptcp/pm.c:420)
subflow_check_req (net/mptcp/subflow.c:98 net/mptcp/subflow.c:213)
subflow_v4_route_req (net/mptcp/subflow.c:305)
tcp_conn_request (net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:7216)
subflow_v4_conn_request (net/mptcp/subflow.c:651)
tcp_rcv_state_process (net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:6709)
tcp_v4_do_rcv (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:1934)
tcp_v4_rcv (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:2334)
ip_protocol_deliver_rcu (net/ipv4/ip_input.c:205 (discriminator 1))
ip_local_deliver_finish (include/linux/rcupdate.h:813 net/ipv4/ip_input.c:234)
ip_local_deliver (include/linux/netfilter.h:314 include/linux/netfilter.h:308 net/ipv4/ip_input.c:254)
ip_sublist_rcv_finish (include/net/dst.h:461 net/ipv4/ip_input.c:580)
ip_sublist_rcv (net/ipv4/ip_input.c:640)
ip_list_rcv (net/ipv4/ip_input.c:675)
__netif_receive_skb_list_core (net/core/dev.c:5583 net/core/dev.c:5631)
netif_receive_skb_list_internal (net/core/dev.c:5685 net/core/dev.c:5774)
napi_complete_done (include/linux/list.h:37 include/net/gro.h:449 include/net/gro.h:444 net/core/dev.c:6114)
igb_poll (drivers/net/ethernet/intel/igb/igb_main.c:8244) igb
__napi_poll (net/core/dev.c:6582)
net_rx_action (net/core/dev.c:6653 net/core/dev.c:6787)
handle_softirqs (kernel/softirq.c:553)
__irq_exit_rcu (kernel/softirq.c:588 kernel/softirq.c:427 kernel/softirq.c:636)
irq_exit_rcu (kernel/softirq.c:651)
common_interrupt (arch/x86/kernel/irq.c:247 (discriminator 14))
This problem seems particularly prevalent if the user advertises an
endpoint that has a different external vs internal address. In the case
where the external address is advertised and multiple connections
already exist, multiple subflow SYNs arrive in parallel which tends to
trigger the race during creation of the first local_addr_list entries
which have the internal address instead.
Fix by skipping the replacement of an existing implicit local address if
called via mptcp_pm_nl_get_local_id.
Impact
Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing. Typical impact: TOCTOU exploits, data corruption, or privilege escalation.
CVE-2025-21938 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-21938? CVE-2025-21938 is a medium-severity race condition vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.
- How severe is CVE-2025-21938? CVE-2025-21938 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (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-2025-21938? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-21938 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-21938 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-21938 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-2025-21938 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.