CVE-2025-21638: Linux kernel · sctp: sysctl: auth_enable: avoid using current->nsproxy
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High · fixed in 5.4.0-1142.152~18.04.1 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 11:14 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.4.0-1142.152~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1147.154~18.04.1, 5.4.0-1145.154~18.04.1 +84
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 19 Jan 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Patches and advisories
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7379-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7380-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7381-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7382-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7388-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7389-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7390-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7391-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7392-1 (opens in a new tab)
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.11pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-nvidiapkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: sysctl: auth_enable: avoid using current->nsproxy As mentioned in a previous commit of this series, using the 'net' structure via 'current' is not recommended for different reasons: - Inconsistency: getting info from the reader's/writer's netns vs only from the opener's netns. - current->nsproxy can be NULL in some cases, resulting in an 'Oops' (null-ptr-deref), e.g. when the current task is exiting, as spotted by syzbot [1] using acct(2). The 'net' structure can be obtained from the table->data using container_of(). Note that table->data could also be used directly, but that would increase the size of this fix, while 'sctp.ctl_sock' still needs to be retrieved from 'net' structure.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-21638 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21638 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/15649fd5415eda664ef35780c2013adeb5d9c695 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/15649fd5415eda664ef35780c2013adeb5d9c695 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b67030d39f2b00f94ac1f0af11ba6657589e4d3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ec30c54f339c640aa7e49d7e9f7bbed6bd42bf6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c184bc621e3cef03ac9ba81a50dda2dae6a21d36 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7379-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7380-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7381-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7382-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7388-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7389-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7390-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7387-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7391-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7392-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7393-1 (opens in a new tab)