CVE-2025-21664: Linux kernel · dm thin: make get_first_thin use rcu-safe list first function
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in 4.15.0-1208.223~14.04.1 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 11:14 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 4.15.0-1208.223~14.04.1, 4.15.0-1198.211~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1208.223~16.04.1 +100
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 21 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: dm thin: make get_first_thin use rcu-safe list first function The documentation in rculist.h explains the absence of list_empty_rcu() and cautions programmers against relying on a list_empty() -> list_first() sequence in RCU safe code. This is because each of these functions performs its own READ_ONCE() of the list head. This can lead to a situation where the list_empty() sees a valid list entry, but the subsequent list_first() sees a different view of list head state after a modification. In the case of dm-thin, this author had a production box crash from a GP fault in the process_deferred_bios path. This function saw a valid list head in get_first_thin() but when it subsequently dereferenced that and turned it into a thin_c, it got the inside of the struct pool, since the list was now empty and referring to itself. The kernel on which this occurred printed both a warning about a refcount_t being saturated, and a UBSAN error for an out-of-bounds cpuid access in the queued spinlock, prior to the fault itself. When the resulting kdump was examined, it was possible to see another thread patiently waiting in thin_dtr's synchronize_rcu. The thin_dtr call managed to pull the thin_c out of the active thins list (and have it be the last entry in the active_thins list) at just the wrong moment which lead to this crash. Fortunately, the fix here is straight forward. Switch get_first_thin() function to use list_first_or_null_rcu() which performs just a single READ_ONCE() and returns NULL if the list is already empty. This was run against the devicemapper test suite's thin-provisioning suites for delete and suspend and no regressions were observed.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-21664 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21664 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/80f130bfad1dab93b95683fc39b87235682b8f72 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/12771050b6d059eea096993bf2001da9da9fddff (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b305e98de0d225ccebfb225730a9f560d28ecb0 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/80f130bfad1dab93b95683fc39b87235682b8f72 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbd0d5ecfa390ac29c5380200147d09c381b2ac6 (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)