CVE-2025-21864: tcp: drop secpath at the same time as we currently drop dst
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tcp: drop secpath at the same time as we currently drop dst
Xiumei reported hitting the WARN in xfrm6tunnelnetexit while running tests that boil down to: - create a pair of netns - run a basic TCP test over ipcomp6 - delete the pair of netns
The xfrmstate found on spibyaddr was not deleted at the time we delete the netns, because we still have a reference on it. This lingering reference comes from a secpath (which holds a ref on the xfrmstate), which is still attached to an skb. This skb is not leaked, it ends up on skreceivequeue and then gets defer-free'd by skbattemptdeferfree.
The problem happens when we defer freeing an skb (push it on one CPU's deferlist), and don't flush that list before the netns is deleted. In that case, we still have a reference on the xfrmstate that we don't expect at this point.
We already drop the skb's dst in the TCP receive path when it's no longer needed, so let's also drop the secpath. At this point, tcpfilter has already called into the LSM hooks that may require the secpath, so it should not be needed anymore. However, in some of those places, the MPTCP extension has just been attached to the skb, so we cannot simply drop all extensions.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-21864?
CVE-2025-21864 has been classified as a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential impact on TCP communications in specific network namespaces.
How do I fix CVE-2025-21864?
To fix CVE-2025-21864, update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the security patch for this vulnerability.
What types of systems are affected by CVE-2025-21864?
CVE-2025-21864 affects systems running vulnerable versions of the Linux kernel that utilize TCP over specific network namespaces.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2025-21864?
The potential impacts of CVE-2025-21864 include disruptions in TCP connections, specifically when managing network namespaces.
Who reported CVE-2025-21864?
CVE-2025-21864 was reported by an individual named Xiumei while conducting tests on the Linux kernel.