CVE-2025-21825: bpf: Cancel the running bpf_timer through kworker for PREEMPT_RT
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Cancel the running bpf_timer through kworker for PREEMPT_RT
During the update procedure, when overwrite element in a pre-allocated
htab, the freeing of old_element is protected by the bucket lock. The
reason why the bucket lock is necessary is that the old_element has
already been stashed in htab->extra_elems after alloc_htab_elem()
returns. If freeing the old_element after the bucket lock is unlocked,
the stashed element may be reused by concurrent update procedure and the
freeing of old_element will run concurrently with the reuse of the
old_element. However, the invocation of check_and_free_fields() may
acquire a spin-lock which violates the lockdep rule because its caller
has already held a raw-spin-lock (bucket lock). The following warning
will be reported when such race happens:
BUG: scheduling while atomic: test_progs/676/0x00000003
3 locks held by test_progs/676:
#0: ffffffff864b0240 (rcu_read_lock_trace){....}-{0:0}, at: bpf_prog_test_run_syscall+0x2c0/0x830
#1: ffff88810e961188 (&htab->lockdep_key){....}-{2:2}, at: htab_map_update_elem+0x306/0x1500
#2: ffff8881f4eac1b8 (&base->softirq_expiry_lock){....}-{2:2}, at: hrtimer_cancel_wait_running+0xe9/0x1b0
Modules linked in: bpf_testmod(O)
Preemption disabled at:
[<ffffffff817837a3>] htab_map_update_elem+0x293/0x1500
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 676 Comm: test_progs Tainted: G ... 6.12.0+ #11
Tainted: [W]=WARN, [O]=OOT_MODULE
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996)...
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x57/0x70
dump_stack+0x10/0x20
__schedule_bug+0x120/0x170
__schedule+0x300c/0x4800
schedule_rtlock+0x37/0x60
rtlock_slowlock_locked+0x6d9/0x54c0
rt_spin_lock+0x168/0x230
hrtimer_cancel_wait_running+0xe9/0x1b0
hrtimer_cancel+0x24/0x30
bpf_timer_delete_work+0x1d/0x40
bpf_timer_cancel_and_free+0x5e/0x80
bpf_obj_free_fields+0x262/0x4a0
check_and_free_fields+0x1d0/0x280
htab_map_update_elem+0x7fc/0x1500
bpf_prog_9f90bc20768e0cb9_overwrite_cb+0x3f/0x43
bpf_prog_ea601c4649694dbd_overwrite_timer+0x5d/0x7e
bpf_prog_test_run_syscall+0x322/0x830
__sys_bpf+0x135d/0x3ca0
__x64_sys_bpf+0x75/0xb0
x64_sys_call+0x1b5/0xa10
do_syscall_64+0x3b/0xc0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
...
</TASK>
It seems feasible to break the reuse and refill of per-cpu extra_elems
into two independent parts: reuse the per-cpu extra_elems with bucket
lock being held and refill the old_element as per-cpu extra_elems after
the bucket lock is unlocked. However, it will make the concurrent
overwrite procedures on the same CPU return unexpected -E2BIG error when
the map is full.
Therefore, the patch fixes the lock problem by breaking the cancelling
of bpf_timer into two steps for PREEMPT_RT:
1) use hrtimer_try_to_cancel() and check its return value
2) if the timer is running, use hrtimer_cancel() through a kworker to
cancel it again
Considering that the current implementation of hrtimer_cancel() will try
to acquire a being held softirq_expiry_lock when the current timer is
running, these steps above are reasonable. However, it also has
downside. When the timer is running, the cancelling of the timer is
delayed when releasing the last map uref. The delay is also fixable
(e.g., break the cancelling of bpf timer into two parts: one part in
locked scope, another one in unlocked scope), it can be revised later if
necessary.
It is a bit hard to decide the right fix tag. One reason is that the
problem depends on PREEMPT_RT which is enabled in v6.12. Considering the
softirq_expiry_lock lock exists since v5.4 and bpf_timer is introduced
in v5.15, the bpf_timer commit is used in the fixes tag and an extra
depends-on tag is added to state the dependency on PREEMPT_RT.
Depends-on: v6.12+ with PREEMPT_RT enabled
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-21825 is a Linux kernel locking bug in eBPF timer cleanup on PREEMPT_RT kernels. The sources show a kernel warning and a resolved upstream fix, but they do not provide CVSS, a clear security impact, or evidence of exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted kernel maintenance item for realtime Linux environments, not a confirmed emergency. Prioritize patch validation where PREEMPT_RT kernels support production or safety-sensitive workloads.
Technical view
When overwriting elements in a preallocated BPF hash table, bpf_timer cleanup can call hrtimer cancellation while a raw bucket lock is held. On PREEMPT_RT, this can violate locking rules and trigger scheduling-while-atomic warnings. The fix uses try-cancel first and delegates running timer cancellation to a kworker.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Linux systems running kernels with PREEMPT_RT enabled and affected eBPF bpf_timer behavior. The source explicitly notes dependence on v6.12+ with PREEMPT_RT, while version metadata is incomplete and should be validated against downstream kernel builds.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not claim active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. They describe a kernel concurrency and locking failure observed through BPF test paths, not a public exploit or confirmed privilege-impact scenario.
Researcher notes
Key uncertainty is impact: sources show a resolved lockdep/scheduling issue but no CVSS, CWE, exploit report, or complete affected-version range. The dependency statement, v6.12+ with PREEMPT_RT enabled, is the strongest exposure signal.
Mitigation direction
Update to a kernel containing the referenced stable fixes or a downstream backport.
Check distribution advisories for PREEMPT_RT kernel package status.
Prioritize realtime Linux fleets using eBPF timer-capable workloads.
Avoid inventing local workarounds; follow kernel or vendor guidance.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernels with PREEMPT_RT enabled.
Map kernel package versions to the three referenced upstream stable commits.
Review kernel logs for scheduling-while-atomic warnings involving bpf_timer or hrtimer cancellation.
Confirm vendor backport status before marking systems remediated.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
Mar 6, 2025, 16:04 UTC (UTC+00:00)
CVE updatedCVE Program
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