# CVE-2025-68762: net: netpoll: initialize work queue before error checks

> A kernel warning occurs when netconsole setup fails on specific devices, potentially leading to a denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-68762, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68762, GHSA-74p6-p33f-j22m, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68762

## What is CVE-2025-68762?

CVE-2025-68762 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 5 Jan 2026. 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:

net: netpoll: initialize work queue before error checks

Prevent a kernel warning when netconsole setup fails on devices with
IFF_DISABLE_NETPOLL flag. The warning (at kernel/workqueue.c:4242 in
__flush_work) occurs because the cleanup path tries to cancel an
uninitialized work queue.

When __netpoll_setup() encounters a device with IFF_DISABLE_NETPOLL,
it fails early and calls skb_pool_flush() for cleanup. This function
calls cancel_work_sync(&np->refill_wq), but refill_wq hasn't been
initialized yet, triggering the warning.

Move INIT_WORK() to the beginning of __netpoll_setup(), ensuring the
work queue is properly initialized before any potential failure points.
This allows the cleanup path to safely cancel the work queue regardless
of where the setup fails.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68762?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-68762?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-68762 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68762 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-68762 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-68762 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 5 Jan 2026. 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-2025-68762 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2025-68762/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68762/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68762
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68762
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-68762

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68762/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.