The kernel code that reports neighbor hardware addresses in the bridge ARP/ND proxy path reads the address field directly from the neighbor structure. When a neighbor entry is being updated concurrently, this access can cause torn or partial reads, producing incorrect or unstable hardware address values. The consequence is that the bridge may advertise wrong MAC addresses, potentially leading to ARP or NDP lookup failures, packet misdelivery, and degradation of network connectivity. The defect does not provide a direct code‑execution path, but it can cause denial‑of‑service type symptoms for hosts relying on the bridge for local communication.

This issue affects the Linux kernel itself, impacting all distributions that ship a kernel containing the vulnerable code prior to the fix. Exact affected kernel versions are not listed in the CVE data; users should check their distribution’s security advisories for affected releases.

The CVSS score is not provided, but the EPSS score is less than 1 % and the vulnerability is not in the CISA KEV catalogue, indicating that it is considered low likelihood for exploitation. The primary risk is to network availability rather than confidentiality or integrity. The attack vector is likely local to the host, inferred from the need for an attacker to manipulate neighbor table updates. The risk is limited to the local machine or the immediate host if such manipulation is possible.