{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2025-68245","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","state":"PUBLISHED","assignerShortName":"Linux","dateReserved":"2025-12-16T13:41:40.264Z","datePublished":"2025-12-16T14:21:22.348Z","dateUpdated":"2026-05-11T21:49:38.460Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"providerMetadata":{"orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","shortName":"Linux","dateUpdated":"2026-05-11T21:49:38.460Z"},"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: netpoll: fix incorrect refcount handling causing incorrect cleanup\n\ncommit efa95b01da18 (\"netpoll: fix use after free\") incorrectly\nignored the refcount and prematurely set dev->npinfo to NULL during\nnetpoll cleanup, leading to improper behavior and memory leaks.\n\nScenario causing lack of proper cleanup:\n\n1) A netpoll is associated with a NIC (e.g., eth0) and netdev->npinfo is\n   allocated, and refcnt = 1\n   - Keep in mind that npinfo is shared among all netpoll instances. In\n     this case, there is just one.\n\n2) Another netpoll is also associated with the same NIC and\n   npinfo->refcnt += 1.\n   - Now dev->npinfo->refcnt = 2;\n   - There is just one npinfo associated to the netdev.\n\n3) When the first netpolls goes to clean up:\n   - The first cleanup succeeds and clears np->dev->npinfo, ignoring\n     refcnt.\n     - It basically calls `RCU_INIT_POINTER(np->dev->npinfo, NULL);`\n   - Set dev->npinfo = NULL, without proper cleanup\n   - No ->ndo_netpoll_cleanup() is either called\n\n4) Now the second target tries to clean up\n   - The second cleanup fails because np->dev->npinfo is already NULL.\n     * In this case, ops->ndo_netpoll_cleanup() was never called, and\n       the skb pool is not cleaned as well (for the second netpoll\n       instance)\n  - This leaks npinfo and skbpool skbs, which is clearly reported by\n    kmemleak.\n\nRevert commit efa95b01da18 (\"netpoll: fix use after free\") and adds\nclarifying comments emphasizing that npinfo cleanup should only happen\nonce the refcount reaches zero, ensuring stable and correct netpoll\nbehavior."}],"affected":[{"product":"Linux","vendor":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["net/core/netpoll.c"],"versions":[{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"8e6a50edad11e3e1426e4c29e7aa6201f3468ac2","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"9b0bb18b4b9dc017c1825a2c5e763615e34a1593","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"890472d6fbf062e6de7fdd56642cb305ab79d669","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"4afd4ebbad52aa146838ec23082ba393e426a2bb","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"c645693180a98606c430825223d2029315d85e9d","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"c79a6d9da29219616b118a3adce9a14cd30f9bd0","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"9a51b5ccd1c79afec1c03a4e1e6688da52597556","status":"affected","versionType":"git"},{"version":"efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264","lessThan":"49c8d2c1f94cc2f4d1a108530d7ba52614b874c2","status":"affected","versionType":"git"}]},{"product":"Linux","vendor":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["net/core/netpoll.c"],"versions":[{"version":"3.17","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","lessThan":"3.17","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.4.302","lessThanOrEqual":"5.4.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.247","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.197","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.159","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.117","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.59","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.17.9","lessThanOrEqual":"6.17.*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18","lessThanOrEqual":"*","status":"unaffected","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}]}],"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"5.4.302"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.247"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.197"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.159"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"6.6.117"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"6.12.59"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"6.17.9"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"3.17","versionEndExcluding":"6.18"}]}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e6a50edad11e3e1426e4c29e7aa6201f3468ac2"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b0bb18b4b9dc017c1825a2c5e763615e34a1593"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/890472d6fbf062e6de7fdd56642cb305ab79d669"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4afd4ebbad52aa146838ec23082ba393e426a2bb"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c645693180a98606c430825223d2029315d85e9d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c79a6d9da29219616b118a3adce9a14cd30f9bd0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a51b5ccd1c79afec1c03a4e1e6688da52597556"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49c8d2c1f94cc2f4d1a108530d7ba52614b874c2"}],"title":"net: netpoll: fix incorrect refcount handling causing incorrect cleanup","x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}