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CVE-2025-21727: padata: fix UAF in padata_reorder

Description

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

padata: fix UAF in padata_reorder

A bug was found when run ltp test:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in padata_find_next+0x29/0x1a0
Read of size 4 at addr ffff88bbfe003524 by task kworker/u113:2/3039206

CPU: 0 PID: 3039206 Comm: kworker/u113:2 Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.6.0+
Workqueue: pdecrypt_parallel padata_parallel_worker
Call Trace:

dump_stack_lvl+0x32/0x50
print_address_description.constprop.0+0x6b/0x3d0
print_report+0xdd/0x2c0
kasan_report+0xa5/0xd0
padata_find_next+0x29/0x1a0
padata_reorder+0x131/0x220
padata_parallel_worker+0x3d/0xc0
process_one_work+0x2ec/0x5a0

If 'mdelay(10)' is added before calling 'padata_find_next' in the
'padata_reorder' function, this issue could be reproduced easily with
ltp test (pcrypt_aead01).

This can be explained as bellow:

pcrypt_aead_encrypt
...
padata_do_parallel
refcount_inc(&pd->refcnt); // add refcnt
...
padata_do_serial
padata_reorder // pd
while (1) {
padata_find_next(pd, true); // using pd
queue_work_on
...
padata_serial_worker crypto_del_alg
padata_put_pd_cnt // sub refcnt
padata_free_shell
padata_put_pd(ps->pd);
// pd is freed
// loop again, but pd is freed
// call padata_find_next, UAF
}

In the padata_reorder function, when it loops in 'while', if the alg is
deleted, the refcnt may be decreased to 0 before entering
'padata_find_next', which leads to UAF.

As mentioned in [1], do_serial is supposed to be called with BHs disabl...

Classification

CVE ID: CVE-2025-21727

Affected Products

Vendor: Linux, Linux

Product: Linux, Linux

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

EPSS Score: 0.02% (probability of being exploited)

EPSS Percentile: 1.85% (scored less or equal to compared to others)

EPSS Date: 2025-03-27 (when was this score calculated)

References

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21727
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0ae2f332cfd2d74cf3ce344ec9938cf3e29c3ccd
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbccae982e9fa1d7abcb23a5ec81cb0ec883f7de
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/573ac9c70bf7885dc85d82fa44550581bfc3b738
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/80231f069240d52e98b6a317456c67b2eafd0781
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e01780ea4661172734118d2a5f41bc9720765668

Timeline