Denial of service via stale nexthop references
Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026
Denial of service in the Linux kernel's IPv4 routing code allows local users to prevent network-device removal through error routes. fib_table_flush() skips error routes outside namespace teardown, leaving deleted nexthop objects and their devices referenced. Reachability requires local route-management privileges; IPv6 is unaffected, and the retained reference blocks device teardown.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in the Linux kernel's IPv4 routing code allows local users to prevent network-device removal through error routes. fib_table_flush() skips error routes outside namespace teardown, leaving deleted nexthop objects and their devices referenced. Reachability requires local route-management privileges; IPv6 is unaffected, and the retained reference blocks device teardown.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-71097
- Published
- Jan 13, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 13, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 13, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=493ced1ac47c48bb86d9d4e8e87df8592be85a0e <30386e090c49e803c0616a7147e43409c32a2b0e
- Affected versionversion=493ced1ac47c48bb86d9d4e8e87df8592be85a0e <5979338c83012110ccd45cae6517591770bfe536
- Affected versionversion=493ced1ac47c48bb86d9d4e8e87df8592be85a0e <ac782f4e3bfcde145b8a7f8af31d9422d94d172a
- Affected versionversion=493ced1ac47c48bb86d9d4e8e87df8592be85a0e <e3fc381320d04e4a74311e576a86cac49a16fc43
- Affected versionversion=493ced1ac47c48bb86d9d4e8e87df8592be85a0e <ee4183501ea556dca31f5ffd8690aa9fd25b609f
- Affected versionversion=5.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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