The kernel igc driver contains a logic bug that causes the network interface to remain in a polling loop after an AF_XDP zero‑copy application is terminated abruptly. This loop never clears the scheduler bit, leading to an infinite spin in napi_complete_done() and preventing the interface from being powered down. A local attacker that can kill or crash an AF_XDP process can thus trigger a denial of service, potentially exhausting kernel resources and disrupting network traffic. The likely attack vector is local; the exploit requires code execution on the same system to terminate an AF_XDP application and trigger the poll loop. The bug is limited to the Linux kernel’s igc driver and does not provide remote code execution or privilege escalation, but it does enable a persistent interface denial that could affect system availability.

The issue affects the Linux kernel, specifically the igc network driver. No particular kernel versions are listed; users should seek the latest kernel updates that incorporate the patch.

No CVSS score or EPSS probability is available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The lack of publicly reported exploits and the local nature of the vulnerability suggest a moderate to high risk of denial of service if an attacker can terminate an AF_XDP process. The fix removes the problematic napi_synchronize() call, relying on napi_disable() to terminate the poll loop. Applying the patch and updating the kernel mitigates the issue entirely.