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Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2025-21979 json

wifi: cfg80211: cancel wiphy_work before freeing wiphy

published 2025-04-01 19 mo ago modified 2026-08-05 3 mo ago also EUVD-2025-9341

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.2%
EPSS 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 11%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: cfg80211: cancel wiphy_work before freeing wiphy

A wiphy_work can be queued from the moment the wiphy is allocated and initialized (i.e. wiphy_new_nm). When a wiphy_work is queued, the rdev::wiphy_work is getting queued.

If wiphy_free is called before the rdev::wiphy_work had a chance to run, the wiphy memory will be freed, and then when it eventally gets to run it'll use invalid memory.

Fix this by canceling the work before freeing the wiphy.

Patch / fix

  • Linux Linux 6.1.132, 6.6.84, 6.12.20, 6.13.8, 6.14
  • linux Debian 12 6.1.133-1
  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13 6.12.20-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21979

  • linux Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-84.84
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1039.41
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1040.42
  • linux-gke Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1036.40
  • linux-ibm Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1037.37
  • linux-azure Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1038.44
  • linux-gkeop Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1023.25
  • linux-raspi Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 6.8.0-1039.43

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21979

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • kernel RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • rv RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • perf RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • rtla RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • libperf RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-rt RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-64k RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-core RHEL 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6

red hat advisories RHSA-2025:9080RHSA-2025:9079

  • kernel-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 6.4.0-150700.20.3.1
  • kernel-syms-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 6.4.0-150700.20.3.1
  • kernel-source-azure SLE Module for Public Cloud 15 SP7 6.4.0-150700.20.3.1
  • kernel-rt Real Time Module 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1
  • kernel-syms-rt Real Time Module 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1
  • kernel-rt_debug Real Time Module 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1
  • kernel-source-rt Real Time Module 15 SP6, openSUSE Leap 15.6 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1
  • kernel-64kb SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 6.4.0-150700.53.3.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2025:01967-1SUSE-SU-2025:01964-1SUSE-SU-2025:01951-1SUSE-SU-2025:01919-1SUSE-SU-2025:01707-1SUSE-SU-2025:01614-1

  • kernel AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • rv AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • perf AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • rtla AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • libperf AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-rt AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-64k AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
  • kernel-core AlmaLinux 9 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6

almalinux advisories ALSA-2025:9080

  • kernel Rocky Linux 10 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0

rocky linux advisories RLSA-2025:9079

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2025-21979 updated cvss 7.1

kernel: wifi: cfg80211: cancel wiphy_work before freeing wiphy

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, python-perf, kernel-kdump, +8 more
    affected: no fix planned “Out of support scope”
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) rv 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, perf 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, rtla 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, python3-perf 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-devel-matched 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-devel-matched 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9080
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) rv 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, perf 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, rtla 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, python3-perf 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-devel-matched 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-devel-matched 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9079
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-64k 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-tools 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-modules 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, +27 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9080
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-64k 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-tools 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-modules 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-64k-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, +27 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9079
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) libperf 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9080
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) libperf 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9079
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9080
show 4 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-64k-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9079
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-kvm 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-570.22.1.el9_6, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9080
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-kvm 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-55.17.1.el10_0, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2025:9079
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, kernel-core, kernel-tools, +29 more
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
13 mo ago

Exploit prediction

0.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 11% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA ADP 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Linux Linux

Classification

Weakness
Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.