# CVE-2025-21829: RDMA/rxe: Fix the warning "__rxe_cleanup+0x12c/0x170 [rdma_rxe]"

> A timeout issue in the Linux kernel RDMA driver can cause resource cleanup failures, potentially leading to a denial of service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-21829, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21829, GHSA-938p-f86v-9mg7, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-21829, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21829

## What is CVE-2025-21829?

CVE-2025-21829 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 6 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

RDMA/rxe: Fix the warning "__rxe_cleanup+0x12c/0x170 [rdma_rxe]"

The Call Trace is as below:
"
  <TASK>
  ? show_regs.cold+0x1a/0x1f
  ? __rxe_cleanup+0x12c/0x170 [rdma_rxe]
  ? __warn+0x84/0xd0
  ? __rxe_cleanup+0x12c/0x170 [rdma_rxe]
  ? report_bug+0x105/0x180
  ? handle_bug+0x46/0x80
  ? exc_invalid_op+0x19/0x70
  ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1b/0x20
  ? __rxe_cleanup+0x12c/0x170 [rdma_rxe]
  ? __rxe_cleanup+0x124/0x170 [rdma_rxe]
  rxe_destroy_qp.cold+0x24/0x29 [rdma_rxe]
  ib_destroy_qp_user+0x118/0x190 [ib_core]
  rdma_destroy_qp.cold+0x43/0x5e [rdma_cm]
  rtrs_cq_qp_destroy.cold+0x1d/0x2b [rtrs_core]
  rtrs_srv_close_work.cold+0x1b/0x31 [rtrs_server]
  process_one_work+0x21d/0x3f0
  worker_thread+0x4a/0x3c0
  ? process_one_work+0x3f0/0x3f0
  kthread+0xf0/0x120
  ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x20/0x20
  ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30
  </TASK>
"
When too many rdma resources are allocated, rxe needs more time to
handle these rdma resources. Sometimes with the current timeout, rxe
can not release the rdma resources correctly.

Compared with other rdma drivers, a bigger timeout is used.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-21829?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-21829?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-21829 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-21829 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-2025-21829 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-21829 is a critical denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 6 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-21829 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-2025-21829/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21829/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21829
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21829
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21829

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21829/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.