CVE-2025-71146 netfilter: nf_conncount: fix leaked ct in error paths

What is CVE-2025-71146?

CVE-2025-71146 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 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:

netfilter: nf_conncount: fix leaked ct in error paths

There are some situations where ct might be leaked as error paths are skipping the refcounted check and return immediately. In order to solve it make sure that the check is always called.

Weakness: CWE-401

Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-71146?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2025-71146?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.

Is CVE-2025-71146 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-71146 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2025-71146, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-71146, GHSA-7v36-pgg4-9j5v, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2025-71146, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-71146.