CVE-2025-38097espintcp: remove encap socket caching to avoid reference leak
Updated under an hour ago ()
Does this affect you?
It affects Linux and 2 other products. Add what you run to find out whether that includes you.
No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.
Do this next
Free account, 1 product
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: espintcp: remove encap socket caching to avoid reference leak The current scheme for caching the encap socket can lead to reference leaks when we try to delete the netns. The reference chain is: xfrm_state -> enacp_sk -> netns Since the encap socket is a userspace socket, it holds a reference on the netns. If we delete the espintcp state (through flush or individual delete) before removing the netns, the reference on the socket is dropped and the netns is correctly deleted. Otherwise, the netns may not be reachable anymore (if all processes within the ns have terminated), so we cannot delete the xfrm state to drop its reference on the socket. This patch results in a small (~2% in my tests) performance regression. A GC-type mechanism could be added for the socket cache, to clear references if the state hasn't been used "recently", but it's a lot more complex than just not caching the socket.
- CVSS
- 7.8 HIGH (v3.1, CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weakness (CWE)
- Not given
- Known exploited
- Not in CISA's KEV catalog
- EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
- Not loaded for this CVE
- Assigned by
- Linux
- NVD analysis
- Modified
- Record last updated
- Oct 15, 2026
- First seen by InfoSec Signals
- Oct 15, 2026
Affected products
Linux Linux linux:linux (from the name) | from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before e32bafd08ee35feacd47b05cc5bfe9cd9659cd25; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before 9673ca00e6c5503069dc98780e2e89db0e663c16; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before e4cde54b46a87231c77256a633be1bef62687d69; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before b58a295d10065960bcb9d60cb8ca6ead9837cd27; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before 9cbca30102028f9ad3d2098f935c4368f581fd07; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before 74fd327767fb784c5875cf7c4ba1217f26020943; from e27cca96cd68fa2c6814c90f9a1cfd36bb68c593 before 028363685bd0b7a19b4a820f82dd905b1dc83999 | CNA record |
linux linux_kernel linux:linux_kernel | from 5.6 before 6.1.141; from 6.2 before 6.6.93; from 6.7 before 6.12.31; from 6.13 before 6.14.9; 6.15; 6.15; 6.15; 6.15; and 3 more ranges | NVD |
debian debian_linux debian:debian_linux | 11.0 | NVD |
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e32bafd08ee35feacd47b05cc5bfe9cd9659cd25
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9673ca00e6c5503069dc98780e2e89db0e663c16
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4cde54b46a87231c77256a633be1bef62687d69patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b58a295d10065960bcb9d60cb8ca6ead9837cd27patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9cbca30102028f9ad3d2098f935c4368f581fd07patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74fd327767fb784c5875cf7c4ba1217f26020943patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/028363685bd0b7a19b4a820f82dd905b1dc83999patch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.htmlmailing-list, third-party-advisory
The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry
The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.