# CVE-2025-71120: SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: avoid NULL deref on zero length gss_token in gss_read_proxy_verf

> A NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel SUNRPC module allows attackers to cause a denial of service via zero-length GSS tokens.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-74628, BELL-CVE-2025-71120, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-71120, GHSA-f8g6-pm49-2rcv, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-71120, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-71120, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-71120, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-71120, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-71120, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-71120

## What is CVE-2025-71120?

CVE-2025-71120 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

SUNRPC: svcauth_gss: avoid NULL deref on zero length gss_token in gss_read_proxy_verf

A zero length gss_token results in pages == 0 and in_token->pages[0]
is NULL. The code unconditionally evaluates
page_address(in_token->pages[0]) for the initial memcpy, which can
dereference NULL even when the copy length is 0. Guard the first
memcpy so it only runs when length > 0.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-71120?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-71120?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-71120 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-71120 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2025-71120 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-71120 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-71120 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-2025-71120/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71120/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-71120
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71120
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-71120

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71120/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.