CVE-2025-68300

Kernel resource exhaustion via mount-namespace reference leak

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

Reference leak in Linux 6.12.59 through 6.12.60 and 6.17.9 through 6.17.10 allows local users to exhaust kernel resources. grab_requested_mnt_ns increments the passive mount-namespace reference after lookup_mnt_ns has already acquired it, leaving the reference unbalanced on release. Repeated local requests can retain mount namespaces and interrupt service by depleting kernel resources; the published assessment requires low local privileges.

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

Reference leak in Linux 6.12.59 through 6.12.60 and 6.17.9 through 6.17.10 allows local users to exhaust kernel resources. grab_requested_mnt_ns increments the passive mount-namespace reference after lookup_mnt_ns has already acquired it, leaving the reference unbalanced on release. Repeated local requests can retain mount namespaces and interrupt service by depleting kernel resources; the published assessment requires low local privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68300
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=6.12.59 <6.12.61
  2. Affected versionversion=6.17.9 <6.17.11
  3. Affected versionversion=78f0e33cd6c939a555aa80dbed2fec6b333a7660 <7b6dcd9bfd869eee7693e45b1817dac8c56e5f86
  4. Affected versionversion=8ff97ade912dcfc5ac1783c4b8d615aacd26fd17 <fe256e59b8e7f126b2464ee32bd9fee131f0a883
  5. Affected versionversion=ba306daa7fa8ae0be5d64c215e9d43a88b4bc8bf <4a16b2a0c1f033f95f5d0b98b9e40e8bf7c4c2c5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.12.59 <6.12.61; version=6.17.9 <6.17.11; version=78f0e33cd6c939a555aa80dbed2fec6b333a7660 <7b6dcd9bfd869eee7693e45b1817dac8c56e5f86; version=8ff97ade912dcfc5ac1783c4b8d615aacd26fd17 <fe256e59b8e7f126b2464ee32bd9fee131f0a883; version=ba306daa7fa8ae0be5d64c215e9d43a88b4bc8bf <4a16b2a0c1f033f95f5d0b98b9e40e8bf7c4c2c5

Published CVSS scores

5.5Oracle LinuxCVSS: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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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