Lucene search
K

Azure Linux 3.0 Security Update: kernel (CVE-2025-21853)

🗓️ 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 4 Views

Azure Linux 3.0 kernel update fixes CVE-2025-21853 by limiting freeze_mutex during mmap and adjusting write-active counts.

Related
Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(296071);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/01/22");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2025-21853");

  script_name(english:"Azure Linux 3.0 Security Update: kernel (CVE-2025-21853)");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The remote Azure Linux host is missing one or more security updates.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The version of kernel installed on the remote Azure Linux 3.0 host is prior to tested version. It is, therefore,
affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the CVE-2025-21853 advisory.

  - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: avoid holding freeze_mutex during
    mmap operation We use map->freeze_mutex to prevent races between map_freeze() and memory mapping BPF map
    contents with writable permissions. The way we naively do this means we'll hold freeze_mutex for entire
    duration of all the mm and VMA manipulations, which is completely unnecessary. This can potentially also
    lead to deadlocks, as reported by syzbot in [0]. So, instead, hold freeze_mutex only during writeability
    checks, bump (proactively) write active count for the map, unlock the mutex and proceed with mmap logic.
    And only if something went wrong during mmap logic, then undo that write active counter increment. [0]
    https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/[email protected]/ (CVE-2025-21853)

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version
number.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21853");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"Update the affected packages.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:C");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2025-21853");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2025/03/12");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2025/04/08");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/01/22");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:bpftool");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-debuginfo");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-devel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-docs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-accessibility");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-gpu");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-sound");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-tools");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:python3-perf");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"x-cpe:/o:microsoft:azure_linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Azure Linux Local Security Checks");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/AzureLinux/release", "Host/AzureLinux/rpm-list", "Host/cpu");

  exit(0);
}
include('rpm.inc');

if (!get_kb_item('Host/local_checks_enabled')) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
var release = get_kb_item('Host/AzureLinux/release');
if (isnull(release) || 'Azure Linux' >!< release) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, 'Azure Linux');
var os_ver = pregmatch(pattern: "Azure Linux ([0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?)", string:release);
if (isnull(os_ver)) audit(AUDIT_UNKNOWN_APP_VER, 'Azure Linux');
os_ver = os_ver[1];
if (! preg(pattern:"^3([^0-9]|$)", string:os_ver)) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, 'Azure Linux 3.0', 'Azure Linux ' + os_ver);

if (!get_kb_item('Host/AzureLinux/rpm-list')) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

var cpu = get_kb_item('Host/cpu');
if (isnull(cpu)) audit(AUDIT_UNKNOWN_ARCH);
if ('x86_64' >!< cpu && cpu !~ "^i[3-6]86$" && 'aarch64' >!< cpu)
  audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_IMPLEMENTED, 'Azure Linux', cpu);

var pkgs = [
    {'reference':'bpftool-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'bpftool-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-debuginfo-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-debuginfo-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-devel-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-devel-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-docs-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-docs-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-accessibility-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-accessibility-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-gpu-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-gpu-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-sound-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-sound-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-tools-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-tools-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'python3-perf-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'python3-perf-6.6.82.1-1.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE}
];

var flag = 0;
foreach var package_array ( pkgs ) {
  var reference = NULL;
  var _release = NULL;
  var sp = NULL;
  var _cpu = NULL;
  var el_string = NULL;
  var rpm_spec_vers_cmp = NULL;
  var epoch = NULL;
  var allowmaj = NULL;
  var exists_check = NULL;
  var cves = NULL;
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['reference'])) reference = package_array['reference'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['release'])) _release = 'Azure Linux ' + package_array['release'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['sp'])) sp = package_array['sp'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['cpu'])) _cpu = package_array['cpu'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['el_string'])) el_string = package_array['el_string'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['rpm_spec_vers_cmp'])) rpm_spec_vers_cmp = package_array['rpm_spec_vers_cmp'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['epoch'])) epoch = package_array['epoch'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['allowmaj'])) allowmaj = package_array['allowmaj'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['exists_check'])) exists_check = package_array['exists_check'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['cves'])) cves = package_array['cves'];
  if (reference && _release && (!exists_check || rpm_exists(release:_release, rpm:exists_check))) {
    if (rpm_check(release:_release, sp:sp, cpu:_cpu, reference:reference, epoch:epoch, el_string:el_string, rpm_spec_vers_cmp:rpm_spec_vers_cmp, allowmaj:allowmaj, cves:cves)) flag++;
  }
}

if (flag)
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : rpm_report_get()
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  var tested = pkg_tests_get();
  if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
  else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, 'bpftool / kernel / kernel-debuginfo / kernel-devel / kernel-docs / etc');
}

Data

Build on a solid foundation with Vulners data

We provide the essential building blocks for cybersecurity solutions with comprehensive, structured, and constantly updated vulnerability and exploits data

Api

Power your application with Vulners API

The Vulners REST API offers reliable, high-performance access to vulnerability intelligence, with 99.9% SLA uptime and CDN-backed data delivery for seamless global access

App

Assess and manage vulnerabilities with Vulners tools

Built on top of Vulners' database and SDK, end-user solutions give security professionals and developers lightweight and powerful tools for vulnerability remediation

22 Jan 2026 00:00Current
6.7Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6.7
CVSS 3.15.5
EPSS0.0021
4