Medium · published September 5, 2025
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_reject: don't leak dst refcount for loopback packets
recent patches to add a WARN() when replacing skb dst entry found an
old bug:
WARNING: include/linux/skbuff.h:1165 skb_dst_check_unset include/linux/skbuff.h:1164 [inline]
WARNING: include/linux/skbuff.h:1165 skb_dst_set include/linux/skbuff.h:1210 [inline]
WARNING: include/linux/skbuff.h:1165 nf_reject_fill_skb_dst+0x2a4/0x330 net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_reject_ipv4.c:234
[..]
Call Trace:
nf_send_unreach+0x17b/0x6e0 net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_reject_ipv4.c:325
nft_reject_inet_eval+0x4bc/0x690 net/netfilter/nft_reject_inet.c:27
expr_call_ops_eval net/netfilter/nf_tables_core.c:237 [inline]
..
This is because blamed commit forgot about loopback packets.
Such packets already have a dst_entry attached, even at PRE_ROUTING stage.
Instead of checking hook just check if the skb already has a route
attached to it.
| Product | Versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 5.9, < 5.10.241 | 5.10.241 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.190 | 5.15.190 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 5.16, < 6.1.149 | 6.1.149 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.2, < 6.6.103 | 6.6.103 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.7, < 6.12.44 | 6.12.44 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.13, < 6.16.4 | 6.16.4 |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| debian/debian_linux | all versions | — |