CVE-2025-71160 - Vulnerability Details

Vendors	Products
Linux	Linux Kernel

Link	Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09d6074995c186e449979fe6c1b0f1a69cf9bd3b
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14fa3d1927f1382f86e3f70a51f26005c8e3cff6
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53de1e6cde8f9b791d9cf61aa0e7b02cf5bbe8b1
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e1a1bc4f5a42747c08130b8242ebebd1210b32f

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_tables: avoid chain re-validation if possible Hamza Mahfooz reports cpu soft lock-ups in nft_chain_validate(): watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#1 stuck for 27s! [iptables-nft-re:37547] [..] RIP: 0010:nft_chain_validate+0xcb/0x110 [nf_tables] [..] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables] nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables] nft_table_validate+0x6b/0xb0 [nf_tables] nf_tables_validate+0x8b/0xa0 [nf_tables] nf_tables_commit+0x1df/0x1eb0 [nf_tables] [..] Currently nf_tables will traverse the entire table (chain graph), starting from the entry points (base chains), exploring all possible paths (chain jumps). But there are cases where we could avoid revalidation. Consider: 1 input -> j2 -> j3 2 input -> j2 -> j3 3 input -> j1 -> j2 -> j3 Then the second rule does not need to revalidate j2, and, by extension j3, because this was already checked during validation of the first rule. We need to validate it only for rule 3. This is needed because chain loop detection also ensures we do not exceed the jump stack: Just because we know that j2 is cycle free, its last jump might now exceed the allowed stack size. We also need to update all reachable chains with the new largest observed call depth. Care has to be taken to revalidate even if the chain depth won't be an issue: chain validation also ensures that expressions are not called from invalid base chains. For example, the masquerade expression can only be called from NAT postrouting base chains. Therefore we also need to keep record of the base chain context (type, hooknum) and revalidate if the chain becomes reachable from a different hook location.
Title		netfilter: nf_tables: avoid chain re-validation if possible
First Time appeared		Linux Linux linux Kernel
CPEs		cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
Vendors & Products		Linux Linux linux Kernel
References		https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09d6074995c186e449979fe6c1b0f1a69cf9bd3b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14fa3d1927f1382f86e3f70a51f26005c8e3cff6 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53de1e6cde8f9b791d9cf61aa0e7b02cf5bbe8b1 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e1a1bc4f5a42747c08130b8242ebebd1210b32f

{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2025-71160", "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Linux", "dateReserved": "2026-01-13T15:30:19.665Z", "datePublished": "2026-01-23T15:23:58.652Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-01-23T15:23:58.652Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "shortName": "Linux", "dateUpdated": "2026-01-23T15:23:58.652Z"}, "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_tables: avoid chain re-validation if possible\n\nHamza Mahfooz reports cpu soft lock-ups in\nnft_chain_validate():\n\n watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#1 stuck for 27s! [iptables-nft-re:37547]\n[..]\n RIP: 0010:nft_chain_validate+0xcb/0x110 [nf_tables]\n[..]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_table_validate+0x6b/0xb0 [nf_tables]\n nf_tables_validate+0x8b/0xa0 [nf_tables]\n nf_tables_commit+0x1df/0x1eb0 [nf_tables]\n[..]\n\nCurrently nf_tables will traverse the entire table (chain graph), starting\nfrom the entry points (base chains), exploring all possible paths\n(chain jumps). But there are cases where we could avoid revalidation.\n\nConsider:\n1 input -> j2 -> j3\n2 input -> j2 -> j3\n3 input -> j1 -> j2 -> j3\n\nThen the second rule does not need to revalidate j2, and, by extension j3,\nbecause this was already checked during validation of the first rule.\nWe need to validate it only for rule 3.\n\nThis is needed because chain loop detection also ensures we do not exceed\nthe jump stack: Just because we know that j2 is cycle free, its last jump\nmight now exceed the allowed stack size. We also need to update all\nreachable chains with the new largest observed call depth.\n\nCare has to be taken to revalidate even if the chain depth won't be an\nissue: chain validation also ensures that expressions are not called from\ninvalid base chains. For example, the masquerade expression can only be\ncalled from NAT postrouting base chains.\n\nTherefore we also need to keep record of the base chain context (type,\nhooknum) and revalidate if the chain becomes reachable from a different\nhook location."}], "affected": [{"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h", "net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c"], "versions": [{"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2", "lessThan": "53de1e6cde8f9b791d9cf61aa0e7b02cf5bbe8b1", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2", "lessThan": "14fa3d1927f1382f86e3f70a51f26005c8e3cff6", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2", "lessThan": "09d6074995c186e449979fe6c1b0f1a69cf9bd3b", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2", "lessThan": "8e1a1bc4f5a42747c08130b8242ebebd1210b32f", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}]}, {"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "affected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h", "net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c"], "versions": [{"version": "6.6.121", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.12.66", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.18.6", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.19-rc2", "lessThanOrEqual": "*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"}]}], "cpeApplicability": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.121"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.66"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.6"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionEndExcluding": "6.19-rc2"}]}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53de1e6cde8f9b791d9cf61aa0e7b02cf5bbe8b1"}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14fa3d1927f1382f86e3f70a51f26005c8e3cff6"}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09d6074995c186e449979fe6c1b0f1a69cf9bd3b"}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e1a1bc4f5a42747c08130b8242ebebd1210b32f"}], "title": "netfilter: nf_tables: avoid chain re-validation if possible", "x_generator": {"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"}}}}

{"cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_tables: avoid chain re-validation if possible\n\nHamza Mahfooz reports cpu soft lock-ups in\nnft_chain_validate():\n\n watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#1 stuck for 27s! [iptables-nft-re:37547]\n[..]\n RIP: 0010:nft_chain_validate+0xcb/0x110 [nf_tables]\n[..]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_immediate_validate+0x36/0x50 [nf_tables]\n nft_chain_validate+0xc9/0x110 [nf_tables]\n nft_table_validate+0x6b/0xb0 [nf_tables]\n nf_tables_validate+0x8b/0xa0 [nf_tables]\n nf_tables_commit+0x1df/0x1eb0 [nf_tables]\n[..]\n\nCurrently nf_tables will traverse the entire table (chain graph), starting\nfrom the entry points (base chains), exploring all possible paths\n(chain jumps). But there are cases where we could avoid revalidation.\n\nConsider:\n1 input -> j2 -> j3\n2 input -> j2 -> j3\n3 input -> j1 -> j2 -> j3\n\nThen the second rule does not need to revalidate j2, and, by extension j3,\nbecause this was already checked during validation of the first rule.\nWe need to validate it only for rule 3.\n\nThis is needed because chain loop detection also ensures we do not exceed\nthe jump stack: Just because we know that j2 is cycle free, its last jump\nmight now exceed the allowed stack size. We also need to update all\nreachable chains with the new largest observed call depth.\n\nCare has to be taken to revalidate even if the chain depth won't be an\nissue: chain validation also ensures that expressions are not called from\ninvalid base chains. For example, the masquerade expression can only be\ncalled from NAT postrouting base chains.\n\nTherefore we also need to keep record of the base chain context (type,\nhooknum) and revalidate if the chain becomes reachable from a different\nhook location."}], "id": "CVE-2025-71160", "lastModified": "2026-01-23T16:15:52.897", "metrics": {}, "published": "2026-01-23T16:15:52.897", "references": [{"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09d6074995c186e449979fe6c1b0f1a69cf9bd3b"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14fa3d1927f1382f86e3f70a51f26005c8e3cff6"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53de1e6cde8f9b791d9cf61aa0e7b02cf5bbe8b1"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e1a1bc4f5a42747c08130b8242ebebd1210b32f"}], "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "vulnStatus": "Received"}

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