CVE-2025-21908: Linux kernel · NFS: fix nfs_release_folio() to not deadlock via kcompactd writeback
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 6.8.0-1039.41~22.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.8.0-1039.41~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1036.42~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1040.42~22.04.1 +34
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
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.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.8.0-84.84?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.8.0-1039.41?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.8.0-1038.44?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.11pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11@6.11.0-1018.18~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-nvidiapkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-nvidia@6.8.0-1025.27?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.8.0-1040.42?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: NFS: fix nfs_release_folio() to not deadlock via kcompactd writeback Add PF_KCOMPACTD flag and current_is_kcompactd() helper to check for it so nfs_release_folio() can skip calling nfs_wb_folio() from kcompactd. Otherwise NFS can deadlock waiting for kcompactd enduced writeback which recurses back to NFS (which triggers writeback to NFSD via NFS loopback mount on the same host, NFSD blocks waiting for XFS's call to __filemap_get_folio): 6070.550357] INFO: task kcompactd0:58 blocked for more than 4435 seconds. {--- [58] "kcompactd0" [<0>] folio_wait_bit+0xe8/0x200 [<0>] folio_wait_writeback+0x2b/0x80 [<0>] nfs_wb_folio+0x80/0x1b0 [nfs] [<0>] nfs_release_folio+0x68/0x130 [nfs] [<0>] split_huge_page_to_list_to_order+0x362/0x840 [<0>] migrate_pages_batch+0x43d/0xb90 [<0>] migrate_pages_sync+0x9a/0x240 [<0>] migrate_pages+0x93c/0x9f0 [<0>] compact_zone+0x8e2/0x1030 [<0>] compact_node+0xdb/0x120 [<0>] kcompactd+0x121/0x2e0 [<0>] kthread+0xcf/0x100 [<0>] ret_from_fork+0x31/0x40 [<0>] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 ---} [akpm@linux-foundation.org: fix build]
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-21908 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21908 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/ce6d9c1c2b5cc785016faa11b48b6cd317eb367e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ae31c54cff745832b9bd5b32e71f3d1b607cd1e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8253ff29edcb429a9a6c75710941c6a16a9a34b1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab0727d6e2196682351c25c1dd112136f6991f11 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce6d9c1c2b5cc785016faa11b48b6cd317eb367e (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7605-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7606-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7605-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7628-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7764-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7765-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7766-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7767-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7779-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7767-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7764-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7790-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7800-1 (opens in a new tab)