CVE-2025-21720: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vcp2-pcm5-4hq8
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CVSS 5.5
CWE-476
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-21720 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is null.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2025-21720 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-21720
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vcp2-pcm5-4hq8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2025-21720

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2025-21720, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference, where the product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is null. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: delete intermediate secpath entry in packet offload mode Packets handled by hardware have added secpath as a way to inform XFRM core code that this path was already handled. That secpath is not needed at all after policy is checked and it is removed later in the stack. However, in the case of IP forwarding is enabled (/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward), that secpath is not removed and packets which already were handled are reentered to the driver TX path with xfrm_offload set. The following kernel panic is observed in mlx5 in such case: mlx5_core 0000:04:00.0 enp4s0f0np0: Link up mlx5_core 0000:04:00.1 enp4s0f1np1: Link up Initializing XFRM netlink socket IPsec XFRM device driver BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc1-alex #3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.13.0-1ubuntu1.1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:0x0 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0xffffffffffffffd6. RSP: 0018:ffffb87380003800 EFLAGS: 00010206 RAX: ffff8df004e02600 RBX: ffffb873800038d8 RCX: 00000000ffff98cf RDX: ffff8df00733e108 RSI: ffff8df00521fb80 RDI: ffff8df001661f00 RBP: ffffb87380003850 R08: ffff8df013980000 R09: 0000000000000010 R10: 0000000000000002 R11: 0000000000000002 R12: ffff8df001661f00 R13: ffff8df00521fb80 R14: ffff8df00733e108 R15: ffff8df011faf04e FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8df46b800000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: ffffffffffffffd6 CR3: 0000000106384000 CR4: 0000000000350ef0 Call Trace: <IRQ> ? show_regs+0x63/0x70 ? __die_body+0x20/0x60 ? __die+0x2b/0x40 ? page_fault_oops+0x15c/0x550 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x3ed/0x870 ? exc_page_fault+0x7f/0x190 ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x27/0x30 mlx5e_ipsec_handle_tx_skb+0xe7/0x2f0 [mlx5_core] mlx5e_xmit+0x58e/0x1980 [mlx5_core] ? __fib_lookup+0x6a/0xb0 dev_hard_start_xmit+0x82/0x1d0 sch_direct_xmit+0xfe/0x390 __dev_queue_xmit+0x6d8/0xee0 ? __fib_lookup+0x6a/0xb0 ? internal_add_timer+0x48/0x70 ? mod_timer+0xe2/0x2b0 neigh_resolve_output+0x115/0x1b0 __neigh_update+0x26a/0xc50 neigh_update+0x14/0x20 arp_process+0x2cb/0x8e0 ? __napi_build_skb+0x5e/0x70 arp_rcv+0x11e/0x1c0 ? dev_gro_receive+0x574/0x820 __netif_receive_skb_list_core+0x1cf/0x1f0 netif_receive_skb_list_internal+0x183/0x2a0 napi_complete_done+0x76/0x1c0 mlx5e_napi_poll+0x234/0x7a0 [mlx5_core] __napi_poll+0x2d/0x1f0 net_rx_action+0x1a6/0x370 ? atomic_notifier_call_chain+0x3b/0x50 ? irq_int_handler+0x15/0x20 [mlx5_core] handle_softirqs+0xb9/0x2f0 ? handle_irq_event+0x44/0x60 irq_exit_rcu+0xdb/0x100 common_interrupt+0x98/0xc0 </IRQ> <TASK> asm_common_interrupt+0x27/0x40 RIP: 0010:pv_native_safe_halt+0xb/0x10 Code: 09 c3 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 66 90 0f 22 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 eb 07 0f 00 2d 7f e9 36 00 fb 40 00 83 ff 07 77 21 89 ff ff 24 fd 88 3d a1 bd 0f 21 f8 RSP: 0018:ffffffffbe603de8 EFLAGS: 00000202 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000f92f46680 RDX: 0000000000000037 RSI: 00000000ffffffff RDI: 00000000000518d4 RBP: ffffffffbe603df0 R08: 000000cd42e4dffb R09: ffffffffbe603d70 R10: 0000004d80d62680 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffffffffbe60bf40 R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffffffbe60aff8 ? default_idle+0x9/0x20 arch_cpu_idle+0x9/0x10 default_idle_call+0x29/0xf0 do_idle+0x1f2/0x240 cpu_startup_entry+0x2c/0x30 rest_init+0xe7/0x100 start_kernel+0x76b/0xb90 x86_64_start_reservations+0x18/0x30 x86_64_start_kernel+0xc0/0x110 ? setup_ghcb+0xe/0x130 common_startup_64+0x13e/0x141 </TASK> Modules linked in: esp4_offload esp4 xfrm_interface xfrm6_tunnel tunnel4 tunnel6 xfrm_user xfrm_algo binf ---truncated---

References

NVD — CVE-2025-21720 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21720
git.kernel.org/stable/c/600258d555... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/600258d555f0710b9c47fb78d2d80a4aecd608cc
git.kernel.org/stable/c/6945701ca1... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6945701ca1572f81bc9bb46f624b02eabb3eaf3e
git.kernel.org/stable/c/981ad4c882... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/981ad4c882096e7375b8c2181dd4c3ee58ea5bae
git.kernel.org/stable/c/c6e1b2cac2... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c6e1b2cac24b2a4d1dd472071021bf00c26450eb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-21720?
CVE-2025-21720 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2025-21720?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-21720?
CVE-2025-21720 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-21720?
CVE-2025-21720 is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference (The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2025-21720?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vcp2-pcm5-4hq8",
  "modified" : "2025-10-23T15:30:21Z",
  "published" : "2025-02-27T03:34:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-21720" ],
  "details" : "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nxfrm: delete intermediate secpath entry in packet offload mode\n\nPackets handled by hardware have added secpath as a way to inform XFRM\ncore code that this path was already handled. That secpath is not needed\nat all after policy is checked and it is removed later in the stack.\n\nHowever, in the case of IP forwarding is enabled (/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward),\nthat secpath is not removed and packets which already were handled are reentered\nto the driver TX path with xfrm_offload set.\n\nThe following kernel panic is observed in mlx5 in such case:\n\n mlx5_core 0000:04:00.0 enp4s0f0np0: Link up\n mlx5_core 0000:04:00.1 enp4s0f1np1: Link up\n Initializing XFRM netlink socket\n IPsec XFRM device driver\n BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000\n #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel mode\n #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present page\n PGD 0 P4D 0\n Oops: Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP\n CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.13.0-rc1-alex #3\n Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.13.0-1ubuntu1.1 04/01/2014\n RIP: 0010:0x0\n Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at 0xffffffffffffffd6.\n RSP: 0018:ffffb87380003800 EFLAGS: 00010206\n RAX: ffff8df004e02600 RBX: ffffb873800038d8 RCX: 00000000ffff98cf\n RDX: ffff8df00733e108 RSI: ffff8df00521fb80 RDI: ffff8df001661f00\n RBP: ffffb87380003850 R08: ffff8df013980000 R09: 0000000000000010\n R10: 0000000000000002 R11: 0000000000000002 R12: ffff8df001661f00\n R13: ffff8df00521fb80 R14: ffff8df00733e108 R15: ffff8df011faf04e\n FS:  0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8df46b800000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000\n CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033\n CR2: ffffffffffffffd6 CR3: 0000000106384000 CR4: 0000000000350ef0\n Call Trace:\n  <IRQ>\n  ? show_regs+0x63/0x70\n  ? __die_body+0x20/0x60\n  ? __die+0x2b/0x40\n  ? page_fault_oops+0x15c/0x550\n  ? do_user_addr_fault+0x3ed/0x870\n  ? exc_page_fault+0x7f/0x190\n  ? asm_exc_page_fault+0x27/0x30\n  mlx5e_ipsec_handle_tx_skb+0xe7/0x2f0 [mlx5_core]\n  mlx5e_xmit+0x58e/0x1980 [mlx5_core]\n  ? __fib_lookup+0x6a/0xb0\n  dev_hard_start_xmit+0x82/0x1d0\n  sch_direct_xmit+0xfe/0x390\n  __dev_queue_xmit+0x6d8/0xee0\n  ? __fib_lookup+0x6a/0xb0\n  ? internal_add_timer+0x48/0x70\n  ? mod_timer+0xe2/0x2b0\n  neigh_resolve_output+0x115/0x1b0\n  __neigh_update+0x26a/0xc50\n  neigh_update+0x14/0x20\n  arp_process+0x2cb/0x8e0\n  ? __napi_build_skb+0x5e/0x70\n  arp_rcv+0x11e/0x1c0\n  ? dev_gro_receive+0x574/0x820\n  __netif_receive_skb_list_core+0x1cf/0x1f0\n  netif_receive_skb_list_internal+0x183/0x2a0\n  napi_complete_done+0x76/0x1c0\n  mlx5e_napi_poll+0x234/0x7a0 [mlx5_core]\n  __napi_poll+0x2d/0x1f0\n  net_rx_action+0x1a6/0x370\n  ? atomic_notifier_call_chain+0x3b/0x50\n  ? irq_int_handler+0x15/0x20 [mlx5_core]\n  handle_softirqs+0xb9/0x2f0\n  ? handle_irq_event+0x44/0x60\n  irq_exit_rcu+0xdb/0x100\n  common_interrupt+0x98/0xc0\n  </IRQ>\n  <TASK>\n  asm_common_interrupt+0x27/0x40\n RIP: 0010:pv_native_safe_halt+0xb/0x10\n Code: 09 c3 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 66 90 0f 22\n 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 eb 07 0f 00 2d 7f e9 36 00 fb\n40 00 83 ff 07 77 21 89 ff ff 24 fd 88 3d a1 bd 0f 21 f8\n RSP: 0018:ffffffffbe603de8 EFLAGS: 00000202\n RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000f92f46680\n RDX: 0000000000000037 RSI: 00000000ffffffff RDI: 00000000000518d4\n RBP: ffffffffbe603df0 R08: 000000cd42e4dffb R09: ffffffffbe603d70\n R10: 0000004d80d62680 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffffffffbe60bf40\n R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffffffbe60aff8\n  ? default_idle+0x9/0x20\n  arch_cpu_idle+0x9/0x10\n  default_idle_call+0x29/0xf0\n  do_idle+0x1f2/0x240\n  cpu_startup_entry+0x2c/0x30\n  rest_init+0xe7/0x100\n  start_kernel+0x76b/0xb90\n  x86_64_start_reservations+0x18/0x30\n  x86_64_start_kernel+0xc0/0x110\n  ? setup_ghcb+0xe/0x130\n  common_startup_64+0x13e/0x141\n  </TASK>\n Modules linked in: esp4_offload esp4 xfrm_interface\nxfrm6_tunnel tunnel4 tunnel6 xfrm_user xfrm_algo binf\n---truncated---",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21720"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/600258d555f0710b9c47fb78d2d80a4aecd608cc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6945701ca1572f81bc9bb46f624b02eabb3eaf3e"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/981ad4c882096e7375b8c2181dd4c3ee58ea5bae"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c6e1b2cac24b2a4d1dd472071021bf00c26450eb"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-476" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-02-27T02:15:15Z"
  }
}