CVE-2025-22021

CVE-2025-22021 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: socket: Lookup orig tuple for IPv6 SNAT nf_sk_lookup_slow_v4 does the conntrack lookup for IPv4 packets to restore the original 5-tuple in case of SNAT, to be able to find the right socket (if any). Then socket_match() can correctly check whether the socket was transparent. However, the IPv6 counterpart (nf_sk_lookup_slow_v6) lacks this conntrack lookup, making xt_socket fail to match on the socket when the packet was SNATed. Add the same logic to nf_sk_lookup_slow_v6. IPv6 SNAT is used in Kubernetes clusters for pod-to-world packets, as pods' addresses are in the fd00::/8 ULA subnet and need to be replaced with the node's external address. Cilium leverages Envoy to enforce L7 policies, and Envoy uses transparent sockets. Cilium inserts an iptables prerouting rule that matches on `-m socket --transparent` and redirects the packets to localhost, but it fails to match SNATed IPv6 packets due to that missing conntrack lookup.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-22021?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: socket: Lookup orig tuple for IPv6 SNAT nf_sk_lookup_slow_v4 does the conntrack lookup for IPv4 packets to restore the original 5-tuple in case of SNAT, to be able to find the right socket (if any). Then socket_match() can correctly check whether the socket was transparent. However, the IPv6 counterpart (nf_sk_lookup_slow_v6) lacks this conntrack lookup, making xt_socket fail to match on the socket when the packet was SNATed. Add the same logic to nf_sk_lookup_slow_v6. IPv6 SNAT is used in Kubernetes clusters for pod-to-world packets, as pods' addresses are in the fd00::/8 ULA subnet and need to be replaced with the node's external address. Cilium leverages Envoy to enforce L7 policies, and Envoy uses transparent sockets. Cilium inserts an iptables prerouting rule that matches on `-m socket --transparent` and redirects the packets to localhost, but it fails to match SNATed IPv6 packets due to that missing conntrack lookup.
How severe is CVE-2025-22021?
CVE-2025-22021 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-22021 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-22021?
CVE-2025-22021 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-22021?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2025-22021 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-22021 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-11372.
When was CVE-2025-22021 published?
CVE-2025-22021 was published on 2025-04-16 and last updated on 2026-07-30.

References

Affected products (2)

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