CVE-2025-68169

System hang via recursive netpoll spinlock acquisition

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

Deadlock in Linux kernel 6.15 through 6.17.7 allows local users to hang the system by inducing severe memory pressure during netpoll refill. The refill_skbs() path calls alloc_skb() while holding skb_pool->lock; an allocation failure emits an OOM printk that re-enters netpoll and reacquires the same lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, netpoll activity, and severe memory pressure, and the documented consequence is an availability-only system hang.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Deadlock in Linux kernel 6.15 through 6.17.7 allows local users to hang the system by inducing severe memory pressure during netpoll refill. The refill_skbs() path calls alloc_skb() while holding skb_pool->lock; an allocation failure emits an OOM printk that re-enters netpoll and reacquires the same lock. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, netpoll activity, and severe memory pressure, and the documented consequence is an availability-only system hang.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68169
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=248f6571fd4c51531f7f8f07f186f7ae98a50afc <06742a3ab884d7428c9050b205ffcf6a8a548397
  2. Affected versionversion=248f6571fd4c51531f7f8f07f186f7ae98a50afc <327c20c21d80e0d87834b392d83ae73c955ad8ff
  3. Affected versionversion=6.15

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=248f6571fd4c51531f7f8f07f186f7ae98a50afc <06742a3ab884d7428c9050b205ffcf6a8a548397; version=248f6571fd4c51531f7f8f07f186f7ae98a50afc <327c20c21d80e0d87834b392d83ae73c955ad8ff; version=6.15

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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