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

> A use-after-free flaw in the Linux kernel's padata subsystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via race conditions.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-21727, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21727, GHSA-wvmf-xh97-gmfr, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-21727, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21727

## What is CVE-2025-21727?

CVE-2025-21727 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Feb 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official 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:
<TASK>
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 disabled
and always happen under RCU protection, to address this issue, add
synchronize_rcu() in 'padata_free_shell' wait for all _do_serial calls
to finish.

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20221028160401.cccypv4euxikusiq@parnassus.localdomain/
[2] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-kernel/jfjz5d7zwbytztackem7ibzalm5lnxldi2eofeiczqmqs2m7o6@fq426cwnjtkm/

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-21727?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-21727?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-21727 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-21727 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-21727 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-21727 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Feb 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-21727 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21727/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21727/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21727
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21727
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21727

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21727/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.