CVE-2025-21983: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab/kvfree_rcu: Switch to WQ_MEM_RECLAIM wq Currently kvfree

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab/kvfree_rcu: Switch to WQ_MEM_RECLAIM wq Currently kvfree_rcu() APIs use a system w

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slab/kvfree_rcu: Switch to WQ_MEM_RECLAIM wq Currently kvfree_rcu() APIs use a system workqueue which is "system_unbound_wq" to driver RCU machinery to reclaim a memory. Recently, it has been noted that the following kernel warning can be observed: <snip> workqueue: WQ_MEM_RECLAIM nvme-wq:nvme_scan_work is flushing !WQ_MEM_RECLAIM events_unbound:kfree_rcu_work WARNING: CPU: 21 PID: 330 at kernel/workqueue.c:3719 check_flush_dependency+0x112/0x120 Modules linked in: intel_uncore_frequency(E) intel_uncore_frequency_common(E) skx_edac(E) ... CPU: 21 UID: 0 PID: 330 Comm: kworker/u144:6 Tainted: G E 6.13.2-0_g925d379822da #1 Hardware name: Wiwynn Twin Lakes MP/Twin Lakes Passive MP, BIOS YMM20 02/01/2023 Workqueue: nvme-wq nvme_scan_work RIP: 0010:check_flush_dependency+0x112/0x120 Code: 05 9a 40 14 02 01 48 81 c6 c0 00 00 00 48 8b 50 18 48 81 c7 c0 00 00 00 48 89 f9 48 ... RSP: 0018:ffffc90000df7bd8 EFLAGS: 00010082 RAX: 000000000000006a RBX: ffffffff81622390 RCX: 0000000000000027 RDX: 00000000fffeffff RSI: 000000000057ffa8 RDI: ffff88907f960c88 RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: f

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.20%, higher than 9% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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