Technical impact
The kernel function nfqnl_recv_verdict() fails to clean up a dequeued NFQUEUE entry when parsing VLAN attributes encounters an error. This causes the nf_queue_entry, its sk_buff, and related reference counts to leak, and repeated triggering can exhaust kernel memory, leading to system instability or denial of service for local users. The vulnerability does not provide remote code execution or privilege escalation and is limited to a local denial‑of‑service impact, and it is a memory leak and resource allocation and deallocation error (CWE-401 and CWE-772).
Affected Systems
All Linux kernel builds that include the nfnetlink_queue subsystem are affected, including mainstream distributions that ship the latest stable kernel sources. Specific version information is not provided, so any host using a kernel that contains the unpatched NFQUEUE queue‑leak code is potentially vulnerable.
Risk and Exploitability
The CVSS score of 5.5 and an EPSS score of less than 1% indicate a very low probability of exploitation in the wild; the KEV catalog lists it as not observed. The attack is likely local, requiring the injection of packets with malformed VLAN attributes to trigger nfqueue processing. Repeated failures drain kernel memory, ultimately causing a denial‑of service. Although exploitation is not trivial, the absence of hardening measure leaves the vulnerability as a significant local resource exhaustion risk.
Debian DLA
Ubuntu USN