The fault resides in the Linux kernel's ethtool RSS handling where rss_prepare_get() allocates an indirection table and hash key buffer but fails to release them if ops->get_rxfh() returns an error. This creates a small memory leak each time the get_rxfh call fails, which can accumulate and consume significant kernel memory, potentially leading to system instability or a kernel panic. The issue is a classic unreleased resource problem described by CWE-772.

The affected software is the Linux kernel, specifically the ethtool RSS path. No specific kernel version is listed, so any kernel that includes this code and exposes the ethtool interface is potentially vulnerable until the upstream patch is applied.

The EPSS score is below 1% and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating a very low likelihood of active exploitation. The CVSS score of 5.5 reflects moderate risk. Exploitation would require an attacker to trigger a get_rxfh error, which typically means having sufficient privileges to invoke ethtool commands; this inference comes from the description that a get_rxfh failure must occur for the leak to happen. While exploitation is unlikely, repeated failures could gradually exhaust memory and result in a denial-of-service scenario.