---
id: CVE-2025-38678
title: 'netfilter: nf_tables: reject duplicate device on updates'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nf_tables: reject duplicate device on updates

  A chain/flowtable update with duplicated devices in the same batch is
  possible. Unfortunately, netdev event pa…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    0521e694d5b80899fba8695881a6349f9bc538cb
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    4681960bc0f4f8bcc782cbf2fd205f48ad314dfd
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    4ce2a0c3b8497a66cfc25fc7ca3d087258a785d2
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    3f358a66a04513311668ea4b40f5064e253d8386
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    cf23d531a9d496863aa4c5a0e2f71f0a23f3df3c
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    d7615bde541f16517d6790412da6ec46fa8a4c1f
  - >-
    Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 <
    cf5fb87fcdaaaafec55dcc0dc5a9e15ead343973
  - Linux 5.8
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:52:45.646428Z'
exploitAvailable: true
published: '2025-09-03'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T22:02:27.949Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38678'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0521e694d5b80899fba8695881a6349f9bc538cb'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4681960bc0f4f8bcc782cbf2fd205f48ad314dfd'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ce2a0c3b8497a66cfc25fc7ca3d087258a785d2'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f358a66a04513311668ea4b40f5064e253d8386'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf23d531a9d496863aa4c5a0e2f71f0a23f3df3c'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d7615bde541f16517d6790412da6ec46fa8a4c1f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf5fb87fcdaaaafec55dcc0dc5a9e15ead343973'
tags:
  - cve.org
  - exploit-available
epss: 0.0028
epssPercentile: 0.20415
exploits:
  github: 1
  githubRepos:
    - 'https://github.com/guard-wait/CVE-2025-38678_POC'
  checkedAt: '2026-10-27T16:46:23.449Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.519Z'
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: nf_tables: reject duplicate device on updates

A chain/flowtable update with duplicated devices in the same batch is
possible. Unfortunately, netdev event path only removes the first
device that is found, leaving unregistered the hook of the duplicated
device.

Check if a duplicated device exists in the transaction batch, bail out
with EEXIST in such case.

WARNING is hit when unregistering the hook:

 [49042.221275] WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 8425 at net/netfilter/core.c:340 nf_hook_entry_head+0xaa/0x150
 [49042.221375] CPU: 4 UID: 0 PID: 8425 Comm: nft Tainted: G S                  6.16.0+ #170 PREEMPT(full)
 [...]
 [49042.221382] RIP: 0010:nf_hook_entry_head+0xaa/0x150

## Affected

- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < 0521e694d5b80899fba8695881a6349f9bc538cb`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < 4681960bc0f4f8bcc782cbf2fd205f48ad314dfd`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < 4ce2a0c3b8497a66cfc25fc7ca3d087258a785d2`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < 3f358a66a04513311668ea4b40f5064e253d8386`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < cf23d531a9d496863aa4c5a0e2f71f0a23f3df3c`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < d7615bde541f16517d6790412da6ec46fa8a4c1f`
- `Linux >= 78d9f48f7f44431a25da2b46b3a8812f6ff2b981 < cf5fb87fcdaaaafec55dcc0dc5a9e15ead343973`
- `Linux 5.8`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.