CVE-2025-38721

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.
ProviderTypeBase ScoreAtk. VectorAtk. ComplexityPriv. RequiredVector
NISTNIST
5.5 MEDIUM
LOCAL
LOW
LOW
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
LinuxCNA
---
---
CVEADP
---
---
Base Score
CVSS 3.x
EPSS Score
Percentile: 4%
VendorProductVersion
linuxlinux_kernel
2.6.19 ≤
𝑥
< 5.4.297
linuxlinux_kernel
5.5 ≤
𝑥
< 5.10.241
linuxlinux_kernel
5.11 ≤
𝑥
< 5.15.190
linuxlinux_kernel
5.16 ≤
𝑥
< 6.1.149
linuxlinux_kernel
6.2 ≤
𝑥
< 6.6.103
linuxlinux_kernel
6.7 ≤
𝑥
< 6.12.43
linuxlinux_kernel
6.13 ≤
𝑥
< 6.15.11
linuxlinux_kernel
6.16 ≤
𝑥
< 6.16.2
linuxlinux_kernel
2.6.18
linuxlinux_kernel
2.6.18:rc5
linuxlinux_kernel
2.6.18:rc6
linuxlinux_kernel
2.6.18:rc7
linuxlinux_kernel
6.17:rc1
debiandebian_linux
11.0
𝑥
= Vulnerable software versions
Debian logo
Debian Releases
Debian Product
Codename
linux
bullseye
vulnerable
bullseye (security)
5.10.247-1
fixed
bookworm
6.1.159-1
fixed
bookworm (security)
6.1.158-1
fixed
trixie
6.12.63-1
fixed
trixie (security)
6.12.48-1
fixed
forky
6.17.13-1
fixed
sid
6.18.5-1
fixed
linux-6.1
bullseye (security)
6.1.159-1~deb11u1
fixed