Security Resilience

CVE-2025-21897

Linux Kernel 6.12.1 – 6.12.18

Published
01 April 2025
Modified
31 October 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 5.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0015 4th percentile
Risk Priority 41 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2025-21897 is a medium-severity Improper Locking (CWE-667) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 5.5 (Medium).

Operationally, ranked at the 4th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Fix pick_task_scx() picking non-queued tasks when it's called without balance() a6250aa251ea ("sched_ext: Handle cases where pick_task_scx() is called without preceding balance_scx()") added a workaround to handle the cases where…

more

pick_task_scx() is called without prececing balance_scx() which is due to a fair class bug where pick_taks_fair() may return NULL after a true return from balance_fair(). The workaround detects when pick_task_scx() is called without preceding balance_scx() and emulates SCX_RQ_BAL_KEEP and triggers kicking to avoid stalling. Unfortunately, the workaround code was testing whether @prev was on SCX to decide whether to keep the task running. This is incorrect as the task may be on SCX but no longer runnable. This could lead to a non-runnable task to be returned from pick_task_scx() which cause interesting confusions and failures. e.g. A common failure mode is the task ending up with (!on_rq && on_cpu) state which can cause potential wakers to busy loop, which can easily lead to deadlocks. Fix it by testing whether @prev has SCX_TASK_QUEUED set. This makes @prev_on_scx only used in one place. Open code the usage and improve the comment while at it.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-50294Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2024-58087Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2024-56533Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2025-21767Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2024-40977Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2026-53304Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2024-56532Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2023-53022Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2025-21912Same product: Linux Linux Kernel
CVE-2024-35892Same product: Linux Linux Kernel

Affected Assets

linux
linux kernel
6.12, 6.14 · 6.12.1 — 6.12.18 · 6.13 — 6.13.6

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing can detect race conditions and locking errors before release.

prevents

Secure coding standards directly prohibit missing or incorrect lock usage.

blocks

Change management may catch locking issues introduced by modifications but does not prevent the weakness itself.

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

  • No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-667, a class-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.

References