Vulnerability · CVE-2025-38470
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feat
Published Jul 28, 2025 · catalog updated Oct 15, 2026 · Linux Linux
Check if you run it
No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2025-38470. EPSS is 0.18%. Act only if a listed version of Linux Linux is installed.
Gaps on this record
- No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
- Severity
- High7.8
- Known exploitation
- Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
- EPSS
- 0.18%
- Remediation
- Advisory link
- Affected products
- cpe debian/debian linux · cpe linux/linux kernel · vendor Linux Linux patch: 6.1.147
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is enabled on a net device, the 8021q module will automatically add or remove VLAN 0 when the net device is put administratively up or down, respectively. There are a couple of problems with the above scheme. The first problem is a memory leak that can happen if the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is disabled while the device is running: # ip link add bond1 up type bond mode 0 # ethtool -K bond1 rx-vlan-filter off # ip link del dev bond1 When the device is put administratively down the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is disabled, so the 8021q module will not remove VLAN 0 and the memory will be leaked [1]. Another problem that can happen is that the kernel can automatically delete VLAN 0 when the device is put administratively down despite not adding it when the device was put administratively up since during that time the "rx-vlan-filter" feature was disabled. null-ptr-unref or bug_on[2] will be triggered by unregister_vlan_dev() for refcount imbalance if toggling filtering during runtime: $ ip link add bond0 type bond mode 0 $ ip link add link bond0 name vlan0 type vlan id 0 protocol 802.1q $ ethtool -K bond0 rx-vlan-filter off $ ifconfig bond0 up $ ethtool -K bond0 rx-vlan-filter on $ ifconfig bond0 down $ ip link del vlan0 Root cause is as below: step1: add vlan0 for real_dev, such as bond, team. register_vlan_dev vlan_vid_add(real_dev,htons(ETH_P_8021Q),0) //refcnt=1 step2: disable vlan filter feature and enable real_dev step3: change filter from 0 to 1 vlan_device_event vlan_filter_push_vids ndo_vlan_rx_add_vid //No refcnt added to real_dev vlan0 step4: real_dev down vlan_device_event vlan_vid_del(dev, htons(ETH_P_8021Q), 0); //refcnt=0 vlan_info_rcu_free //free vlan0 step5: delete vlan0 unregister_vlan_dev BUG_ON(!vlan_info); //vlan_info is null Fix both problems by noting in the VLAN info wh
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- cpe debian/debian linux11.0
- cpe linux/linux kernel6.16
- vendor Linux Linux patch: 6.1.147patch: 6.1.147
How to fix CVE-2025-38470
Recommended remediation
A patch or advisory reference is linked. Open the original publisher for availability by product version.
Official advisories
What to do
Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.
Should you patch?
No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2025-38470. EPSS is 0.18%. Act only if a listed version of Linux Linux is installed.
Which versions are affected?
Compare what you have installed with debian/debian linux 11.0; linux/linux kernel 6.16; Linux Linux patch: 6.1.147 patch: 6.1.147. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.
What should an analyst verify?
No weakness class is stored. EPSS 0.18%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Jul 28, 2025 · NIST NVD
Detected
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is enabled on a net device, the 8021q module will automatically add or remove VLAN 0 when the net device is put administratively up or down, respectively. There are a couple of problems with the above scheme. The fir
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is enabled on a net device, the 8021q module will automatically add or remove VLAN 0 when the net device is put administratively up or down, respectively. There are a couple of problems with the above scheme. The fir
Sources
- CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2025-38470
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2025-38470
30-day exploitation probability 0.2%
first.org - EUVDVulnerability recordEUVD-2025-22892
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is enabled on a net device, the 8021q module will automatically add or remove VLAN 0 when the ne
euvd.enisa.europa.eu - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2025-38470
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vlan: fix VLAN 0 refcount imbalance of toggling filtering during runtime Assuming the "rx-vlan-filter" feature is enabled on a net device, the 8021q module will automatically add or remove VLAN 0 when the
nvd.nist.gov
References
Freshness
Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.