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Azure Linux 3.0 Security Update: kernel (CVE-2025-21981)

🗓️ 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 5 Views

Azure Linux 3.0 kernel vulnerable to CVE-2025-21981; fix prevents aRFS memory leak in VSI reset.

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

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(295203);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/01/22");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2025-21981");

  script_name(english:"Azure Linux 3.0 Security Update: kernel (CVE-2025-21981)");

  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-2025-21981 advisory.

  - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ice: fix memory leak in aRFS after
    reset Fix aRFS (accelerated Receive Flow Steering) structures memory leak by adding a checker to verify if
    aRFS memory is already allocated while configuring VSI. aRFS objects are allocated in two cases: - as part
    of VSI initialization (at probe), and - as part of reset handling However, VSI reconfiguration executed
    during reset involves memory allocation one more time, without prior releasing already allocated
    resources. This led to the memory leak with the following signature: [root@os-delivery ~]# cat
    /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak unreferenced object 0xff3c1ca7252e6000 (size 8192): comm kworker/0:0, pid 8,
    jiffies 4296833052 hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
    ................ 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ backtrace (crc 0):
    [<ffffffff991ec485>] __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x275/0x340 [<ffffffffc0a6e06a>] ice_init_arfs+0x3a/0xe0 [ice]
    [<ffffffffc09f1027>] ice_vsi_cfg_def+0x607/0x850 [ice] [<ffffffffc09f244b>] ice_vsi_setup+0x5b/0x130 [ice]
    [<ffffffffc09c2131>] ice_init+0x1c1/0x460 [ice] [<ffffffffc09c64af>] ice_probe+0x2af/0x520 [ice]
    [<ffffffff994fbcd3>] local_pci_probe+0x43/0xa0 [<ffffffff98f07103>] work_for_cpu_fn+0x13/0x20
    [<ffffffff98f0b6d9>] process_one_work+0x179/0x390 [<ffffffff98f0c1e9>] worker_thread+0x239/0x340
    [<ffffffff98f14abc>] kthread+0xcc/0x100 [<ffffffff98e45a6d>] ret_from_fork+0x2d/0x50 [<ffffffff98e083ba>]
    ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 ... (CVE-2025-21981)

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-2025-21981");
  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-2025-21981");

  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:"2025/04/01");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2025/05/13");
  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-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'bpftool-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-debuginfo-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-debuginfo-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-devel-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-devel-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-docs-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-docs-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-accessibility-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-accessibility-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-gpu-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-gpu-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-sound-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-drivers-sound-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-tools-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'kernel-tools-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'python3-perf-6.6.85.1-2.azl3', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'3.0', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'python3-perf-6.6.85.1-2.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');
}

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22 Jan 2026 00:00Current
6.7Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6.7
CVSS 3.15.5
EPSS0.00182
SSVC
5