# CVE-2025-38678: netfilter: nf_tables: reject duplicate device on updates

> A local attacker can trigger a kernel warning and potential instability by submitting duplicate devices in netfilter updates, requiring a kernel patch.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-66773, AZL-70774, BELL-CVE-2025-38678, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38678, GHSA-g7rm-8pw5-wvg2, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38678, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38678, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-38678, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38678, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38678, SUSE-SU-2025:03648-1, SUSE-SU-2025:3741-1, SUSE-SU-2025:3769-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38678

## What is CVE-2025-38678?

CVE-2025-38678 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 3 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nf_tables: reject duplicate device on updates

A chain/flowtable update with duplicated devices in the same batch is
possible. Unfortunately, netdev event path only removes the first
device that is found, leaving unregistered the hook of the duplicated
device.

Check if a duplicated device exists in the transaction batch, bail out
with EEXIST in such case.

WARNING is hit when unregistering the hook:

 [49042.221275] WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 8425 at net/netfilter/core.c:340 nf_hook_entry_head+0xaa/0x150
 [49042.221375] CPU: 4 UID: 0 PID: 8425 Comm: nft Tainted: G S                  6.16.0+ #170 PREEMPT(full)
 [...]
 [49042.221382] RIP: 0010:nf_hook_entry_head+0xaa/0x150

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38678?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP4_Update_44` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 | All versions | 2-150400.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP5_Update_30` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 | All versions | 2-150500.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_15` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | All versions | 2-150600.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_4` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 2-150700.2.1 |
| `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_4` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 2-150700.2.1 |

Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38678?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38678 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38678 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- maybe the first poc for CVE-2025-38678? (github_poc): https://github.com/guard-wait/CVE-2025-38678_POC

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38678 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38678 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 3 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38678 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38678/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38678/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38678
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38678
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38678

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38678/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.