Unknown

CVE-2025-68245 — net: netpoll: fix incorrect refcount handling causing incorrect cleanup

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: netpoll: fix incorrect refcount handling causing incorrect cleanup commit efa95b01da18 ("netpoll: fix use after free") incorrectly ignored the refcount and prematurely set dev->npinfo to NULL during netpoll cleanup, leading to improper behavior and memory leaks. Scenario causing lack of proper cleanup: 1) A netpoll is associated with a NIC (e.g., eth0) and netdev->npinfo is allocated, and refcnt = 1 - Keep in mind that npinfo is shared among all netpoll instances. In this case, there is just one. 2) Another netpoll is also associated with the same NIC and npinfo->refcnt += 1. - Now dev->npinfo->refcnt = 2; - There is just one npinfo associated to the netdev. 3) When the first netpolls goes to clean up: - The first cleanup succeeds and clears np->dev->npinfo, ignoring refcnt. - It basically calls `RCU_INIT_POINTER(np->dev->npinfo, NULL);` - Set dev->npinfo = NULL, without proper cleanup - No ->ndo_netpoll_cleanup() is either called 4) Now the second target tries to clean up - The second cleanup fails because np->dev->npinfo is already NULL. * In this case, ops->ndo_netpoll_cleanup() was never called, and the skb pool is not cleaned as well (for the second netpoll instance) - This leaks npinfo and skbpool skbs, which is clearly reported by kmemleak. Revert commit efa95b01da18 ("netpoll: fix use after free") and adds clarifying comments emphasizing that npinfo cleanup should only happen once the refcount reaches zero, ensuring stable and correct netpoll behavior.

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Oct 14, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.2%

ahead of 9% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

—

Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 8e6a50edad11e3e1426e4c29e7aa6201f3468ac2≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 9b0bb18b4b9dc017c1825a2c5e763615e34a1593≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 890472d6fbf062e6de7fdd56642cb305ab79d669≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 4afd4ebbad52aa146838ec23082ba393e426a2bb≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < c645693180a98606c430825223d2029315d85e9d≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < c79a6d9da29219616b118a3adce9a14cd30f9bd0≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 9a51b5ccd1c79afec1c03a4e1e6688da52597556≥ efa95b01da18ad22af62f6d99a3243f3be8fd264 and < 49c8d2c1f94cc2f4d1a108530d7ba52614b874c2 and 1 more version 3.17	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.20%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.

application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Source status changed · → Deferred
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
2025
CVE published
Dec 16, 2025 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

10 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/890472d6fbf062e6de7fdd56642cb305ab79d669
NIST National Vulnerability Database
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68245
GitHub Security Advisories
git.kernel.org/stable/c/49c8d2c1f94cc2f4d1a108530d7ba52614b874c2
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/c645693180a98606c430825223d2029315d85e9d
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a51b5ccd1c79afec1c03a4e1e6688da52597556
NIST National Vulnerability Database
github.com/advisories/GHSA-jr3x-g84v-9793
GitHub Security Advisories
git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e6a50edad11e3e1426e4c29e7aa6201f3468ac2
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/c79a6d9da29219616b118a3adce9a14cd30f9bd0
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b0bb18b4b9dc017c1825a2c5e763615e34a1593
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/4afd4ebbad52aa146838ec23082ba393e426a2bb
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 9h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 9h
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No CISA SSVC assessment.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2025-68245 is "net: netpoll: fix incorrect refcount handling causing incorrect cleanup", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.20% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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