netfilter: ctnetlink: fix refcount leak on table dump
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
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.18 and later | 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 |
- 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
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 6.16.2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.18 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.18 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.18 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.18:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.18 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- 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 →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38721
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-6237-rh4h-82p6
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/586892e341fbf698e7cbaca293e1353957db725a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/962518c6ca9f9a13df099cafa429f72f68ad61f0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19b909a4b1452fb97e477d2f08b97f8d04095619
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41462f4cfc583513833f87f9ee55d12da651a7e3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/30cf811058552b8cd0e98dff677ef3f89d6d34ce
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a2cb4df7872de069f809de2f076ec8e54d649fe3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e14f72aa66c029db106921d621edcedef68e065b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a62d6aa3f31f216b637a4c71b7a8bfc7c57f049b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de788b2e6227462b6dcd0e07474e72c089008f74
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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- 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
Sources
- CVE-2025-38721 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-38721 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-6237-rh4h-82p6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-38721 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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