CVE-2025-71097

EUVD-2026-2225
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ipv4: Fix reference count leak when using error routes with nexthop objects

When a nexthop object is deleted, it is marked as dead and then
fib_table_flush() is called to flush all the routes that are using the
dead nexthop.

The current logic in fib_table_flush() is to only flush error routes
(e.g., blackhole) when it is called as part of network namespace
dismantle (i.e., with flush_all=true). Therefore, error routes are not
flushed when their nexthop object is deleted:

 # ip link add name dummy1 up type dummy
 # ip nexthop add id 1 dev dummy1
 # ip route add 198.51.100.1/32 nhid 1
 # ip route add blackhole 198.51.100.2/32 nhid 1
 # ip nexthop del id 1
 # ip route show
 blackhole 198.51.100.2 nhid 1 dev dummy1

As such, they keep holding a reference on the nexthop object which in
turn holds a reference on the nexthop device, resulting in a reference
count leak:

 # ip link del dev dummy1
 [   70.516258] unregister_netdevice: waiting for dummy1 to become free. Usage count = 2

Fix by flushing error routes when their nexthop is marked as dead.

IPv6 does not suffer from this problem.
ProviderTypeBase ScoreAtk. VectorAtk. ComplexityPriv. RequiredVector
NISTPrimary
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
Base Score
CVSS 3.x
EPSS Score
Percentile: Unknown
Affected Products (NVD)
VendorProductVersion
linuxlinux_kernel
5.3.1 ≤
𝑥
< 5.10.248
linuxlinux_kernel
5.11 ≤
𝑥
< 5.15.198
linuxlinux_kernel
5.16 ≤
𝑥
< 6.1.160
linuxlinux_kernel
6.2 ≤
𝑥
< 6.6.120
linuxlinux_kernel
6.7 ≤
𝑥
< 6.12.64
linuxlinux_kernel
6.13 ≤
𝑥
< 6.18.4
linuxlinux_kernel
5.3
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc1
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc2
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc3
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc4
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc5
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc6
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc7
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc8
𝑥
= Vulnerable software versions
Debian logo
Debian Releases
Debian Product
Codename
linux
bookworm
vulnerable
bookworm (security)
6.1.164-1
fixed
bullseye
vulnerable
bullseye (security)
5.10.251-1
fixed
forky
6.19.11-1
fixed
sid
6.19.11-1
fixed
trixie
6.12.73-1
fixed
trixie (security)
6.12.74-2
fixed
linux-6.1
bullseye (security)
6.1.164-1~deb11u1
fixed