The Linux kernel’s IPVS component miscalculates IPv6 transport offsets when an IPv6 address is supplied, causing the TCP code to parse the packet as if it contained an IPv4 header. This incorrect interpretation can lead to malformed packet processing, checksum failures, or disrupted service when IPVS routes IPv6 traffic. According to the description, the fault is benign for the kernel‑space FTP daemon because Netfilter mangle redirects the ports and the TCP sequence numbers are not altered, but it can nevertheless degrade integrity or availability for other IPVS‑enabled services using IPv6.

All Linux kernel releases that include the IPVS IPv6 transport offset logic prior to the inclusion of the fix commits referenced in the advisory are affected. The fixes are demonstrated in a series of git commits in the kernel tree; any kernel built before these commits is vulnerable regardless of distribution.

The CVSS score of 9.8 indicates a very high severity. The EPSS score of less than 1% suggests a low probability of widespread exploitation at the time of analysis, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, implying no public exploits are known. Exploitation would require an attacker to inject specially crafted IPv6 traffic through a configured IPVS front‑end; this is technically feasible but may be constrained in tightly controlled or isolated environments. Overall, the risk is high severity but the exploitation potential remains low to moderate based on current metrics.