Read the docs
TI-2025-26056 Aliases CVE-2025-38721GHSA-6237-rh4h-82p6

netfilter: ctnetlink: fix refcount leak on table dump

Priority LOW 24Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ctnetlink: fix refcount leak on table dump There is a reference count leak in ctnetlink_dump_table(): if (res < 0) { nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general); // HERE cb->args[1] = (unsigned long)ct; ... While its very unlikely, its possible that ct == last. If this happens, then the refcount of ct was already incremented. This 2nd increment is never undone. This prevents the conntrack object from being released, which in turn keeps prevents cnet->count from dropping back to 0. This will then block the netns dismantle (or conntrack rmmod) as nf_conntrack_cleanup_net_list() will wait forever. This can be reproduced by running conntrack_resize.sh selftest in a loop. It takes ~20 minutes for me on a preemptible kernel on average before I see a runaway kworker spinning in nf_conntrack_cleanup_net_list. One fix would to change this to: if (res < 0) { if (ct != last) nf_conntrack_get(&ct->ct_general); But this reference counting isn't needed in the first place. We can just store a cookie value instead. A followup patch will do the same for ctnetlink_exp_dump_table, it looks to me as if this has the same problem and like ctnetlink_dump_table, we only need a 'skip hint', not the actual object so we can apply the same cookie strategy there as well.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00177 7th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190 +6Red Hat: 5 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.18 and later5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.2, 6.17Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.18 and later Fixed in 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.2, 6.17 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.19 to before 5.4.297; 5.5 to before 5.10.241; 5.11 to before 5.15.190; 5.16 to before 6.1.149; 6.2 to before 6.6.103; 6.7 to before 6.12.43; 6.13 to before 6.15.11; 6.16 to before 6.16.2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.18VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.18 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.18 rc6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.18 rc7VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*6.17 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*11.0VulnerableDebian
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.19 to before 5.4.297; 5.5 to before 5.10.241; 5.11 to before 5.15.190; 5.16 to before 6.1.149; 6.2 to before 6.6.103; 6.7 to before 6.12.43; 6.13 to before 6.15.11; 6.16 to before 6.16.2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.18 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.18 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.18 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.18 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.297, 5.10.241, 5.15.190, 6.1.149, 6.6.103, 6.12.43, 6.15.11, 6.16.2, 6.17

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38721
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-6237-rh4h-82p6
  3. 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources