# CVE-2025-21973: eth: bnxt: fix kernel panic in the bnxt_get_queue_stats{rx | tx}

> A local attacker can trigger a kernel panic by querying queue statistics on a downed network interface, causing a denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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:** 1 Apr 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-21973, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-21973, GHSA-fhg3-8v6r-3g42, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-21973

## What is CVE-2025-21973?

CVE-2025-21973 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 Apr 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:

eth: bnxt: fix kernel panic in the bnxt_get_queue_stats{rx | tx}

When qstats-get operation is executed, callbacks of netdev_stats_ops
are called. The bnxt_get_queue_stats{rx | tx} collect per-queue stats
from sw_stats in the rings.
But {rx | tx | cp}_ring are allocated when the interface is up.
So, these rings are not allocated when the interface is down.

The qstats-get is allowed even if the interface is down. However,
the bnxt_get_queue_stats{rx | tx}() accesses cp_ring and tx_ring
without null check.
So, it needs to avoid accessing rings if the interface is down.

Reproducer:
 ip link set $interface down
 ./cli.py --spec netdev.yaml --dump qstats-get
OR
 ip link set $interface down
 python ./stats.py

Splat looks like:
 BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
 #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
 PGD 1680fa067 P4D 1680fa067 PUD 16be3b067 PMD 0
 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1495 Comm: python3 Not tainted 6.14.0-rc4+ #32 5cd0f999d5a15c574ac72b3e4b907341
 Hardware name: ASUS System Product Name/PRIME Z690-P D4, BIOS 0603 11/01/2021
 RIP: 0010:bnxt_get_queue_stats_rx+0xf/0x70 [bnxt_en]
 Code: c6 87 b5 18 00 00 02 eb a2 66 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 0f 1f 44 01
 RSP: 0018:ffffabef43cdb7e0 EFLAGS: 00010282
 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffffffc04c8710 RCX: 0000000000000000
 RDX: ffffabef43cdb858 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: ffff8d504e850000
 RBP: ffff8d506c9f9c00 R08: 0000000000000004 R09: ffff8d506bcd901c
 R10: 0000000000000015 R11: ffff8d506bcd9000 R12: 0000000000000000
 R13: ffffabef43cdb8c0 R14: ffff8d504e850000 R15: 0000000000000000
 FS:  00007f2c5462b080(0000) GS:ffff8d575f600000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
 CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
 CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 0000000167fd0000 CR4: 00000000007506f0
 PKRU: 55555554
 Call Trace:
  <TASK>
  ? __die+0x20/0x70
  ? page_fault_oops+0x15a/0x460
  ? sched_balance_find_src_group+0x58d/0xd10
  ? exc_page_fault+0x6e/0x180
  ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x22/0x30
  ? bnxt_get_queue_stats_rx+0xf/0x70 [bnxt_en cdd546fd48563c280cfd30e9647efa420db07bf1]
  netdev_nl_stats_by_netdev+0x2b1/0x4e0
  ? xas_load+0x9/0xb0
  ? xas_find+0x183/0x1d0
  ? xa_find+0x8b/0xe0
  netdev_nl_qstats_get_dumpit+0xbf/0x1e0
  genl_dumpit+0x31/0x90
  netlink_dump+0x1a8/0x360

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-21973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-21973?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-21973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-21973 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-2025-21973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-21973 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 Apr 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-2025-21973 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-2025-21973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21973

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.