CVE-2025-21897: Linux kernel · sched_ext: Fix pick_task_scx() picking non-queued tasks when it's called without
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 16:10 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Apr 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 30 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-raspi-realtimepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtime?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-realtimepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-realtime?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-allwinner-5.19?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSlinux-aws-5.19pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-5.19?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.2pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.2?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.5pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.5?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users should update to the fixed kernel versions listed to resolve the issue. Since this is a kernel-level bug, applying the official kernel patches or upgrading to a fixed kernel release is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigations are specified or required beyond applying the fix.
Description
CVE-2025-21897 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's scheduler extension where the function pick_task_scx() may incorrectly select non-runnable tasks due to improper checks. This can cause the task state to become inconsistent, such as a task being off the run queue but still marked as running on CPU, potentially leading to busy loops and deadlocks. The issue arises from a bug in the fair scheduling class and was fixed by correcting the condition that determines if a task is queued. The vulnerability affects specific Linux kernel versions used in various Ubuntu LTS releases.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-21897 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21897 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/8fef0a3b17bb258130a4fcbcb5addf94b25e9ec5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5324c459f90d16b0c43a78b494c598915d782b7a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8fef0a3b17bb258130a4fcbcb5addf94b25e9ec5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/de60a31cb0bcacfaf9487546eac5e70e0a9c66d7 (opens in a new tab)