Duplication Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Networking Module

CVE-2025-38553

What is CVE-2025-38553?

A vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's networking component where the logic for preventing the duplication of netems within a queuing discipline (qdisc) tree can fail. When a netem is improperly allowed to exist alongside other netems, it may lead to system instability, including soft lockups and out-of-memory (OOM) loops during packet processing. To mitigate this risk, recent patches have enforced stricter conditions to prevent duplicating netems from cohabitating in the same qdisc tree, addressing potential denial-of-service (DoS) scenarios.

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