The Linux kernel contains a flaw in the mana network driver. When an XDP program is attached to an interface, the driver publishes the program before allocating per‑queue buffers. If buffer allocation fails, the error path bypasses the cleanup that would restore the previous program pointer. As a result, the pointer held in apc->bpf_prog refers to memory that has already been freed. Subsequent calls to bpf_prog_add on that stale pointer can corrupt the kernel, leading to a crash or giving an attacker the ability to execute code with kernel privileges. The bug is a classic use‑after‑free that directly impacts the integrity and availability of the system.

All Linux kernel versions that contain the mana driver before the fix are affected. The vulnerability is present in the mainline kernel and would impact any node that enables XDP programs on network interfaces using the mana driver. No specific release date or kernel version was listed, so until the patch is applied, any affected system remains in risk.

The EPSS score is not available and the vulnerability has not been listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, but a missing program pointer restoration is a high‑severity use‑after‑free. Because the attacker would need root or become root by exploiting the bug, the primary attack vector is local privilege escalation or denial of service. The absence of a listed exploit does not reduce the theoretical risk; kernel corruption could still occur from an internal attacker or via malicious traffic when XDP is bound. Administrators should treat the flaw as a high priority.