Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel Wi-Fi stack memory safety flaw. A local low-privileged user may be able to trigger use of freed kernel memory, with potential impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The issue is serious on systems running affected kernels, but the supplied sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize normal-to-expedited kernel patching for Linux fleets, especially endpoints and wireless-capable systems. This is high severity because kernel memory corruption can have broad system impact, but urgency is below emergency level without evidence of active exploitation.
Technical view
In cfg80211, wiphy_work can remain queued after wiphy_free releases the associated wiphy memory. When the queued work later runs, it may dereference invalid memory, producing a CWE-416 use-after-free. The kernel fix cancels pending wiphy_work before freeing the wiphy object.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems using affected kernel versions and the cfg80211 wireless stack. The source bundle lists Linux kernel affected ranges including 6.5 and stable series entries through 6.14. Downstream distribution exposure depends on vendor backports and package status.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, low privilege, and no user interaction. The bundle marks KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of exploitation in the wild. Treat exploitability as plausible local privilege-impact risk, not confirmed active exploitation.
Researcher notes
The key evidence is the upstream fix description: queued rdev::wiphy_work could execute after wiphy memory is freed. Validate exposure through kernel version, downstream patch status, and wireless stack presence. The affected-version data in the bundle is not enough to infer every vendor package state.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Linux kernel or distribution security updates containing the cfg80211 wiphy_work fix.
- Review Debian LTS and other vendor advisories for patched kernel package availability.
- Prioritize laptops, workstations, and systems with wireless stack support enabled.
- Where patching is delayed, follow vendor guidance for temporary risk reduction.
- Reboot into the patched kernel after updating kernel packages.
Validation and detection
- Inventory running kernel versions across Linux assets.
- Check whether each distribution has backported the referenced kernel fix.
- Confirm systems have rebooted into the patched kernel after update.
- Identify assets with cfg80211 or wireless drivers enabled.
- Document exceptions where vendor patch status is still unclear.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2025-21979 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8930a3e1568cf534f86c8ed2def817c6d0528fc1CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0272d4af7f92997541d8bbf4c51918b93ded6ee2CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75d262ad3c36d52852d764588fcd887f0fcd9138CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5158d67bff06cb6fea31be39aeb319fd908ed8eCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dea22de162058216a90f2706f0d0b36f0ff309fdCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72d520476a2fab6f3489e8388ab524985d6c4b90CVE reference, Linux
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00045.htmlCVE reference, CVE
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.