CVE-2025-22103
Description
CVE-2025-22103 is a bug in the Linux operating system that affects how it handles certain virtual network interfaces called IPvlan interfaces, specifically when they're running in a special mode called L3S (Layer 3 Simplified). These virtual interfaces are often used in advanced networking setups, like containers or virtual machines.
The problem happens when one of these virtual interfaces is being deleted. If the system is still trying to use it at the exact moment it's being removed, Linux might try to access something that's already gone. This leads to a situation where the system hits an error and crashes completely — resulting in a kernel panic (essentially a Linux version of a system-wide crash).
The root of the problem is that Linux doesn't always wait for things to finish properly before cleaning up, which opens a short window where one part of the system thinks the interface still exists, while another part has already removed it.
The issue has been fixed in newer versions of the Linux kernel (starting from version 6.15-rc1), so applying the latest updates will prevent this crash from occurring.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
NULL pointer dereferences usually result in the failure of the process unless exception handling (on some platforms) is available and implemented. Even when exception handling is being used, it can still be very difficult to return the software to a safe state of operation.
Integrity,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Read Memory; Modify Memory
In rare circumstances, when NULL is equivalent to the 0x0 memory address and privileged code can access it, then writing or reading memory is possible, which may lead to code execution.
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