CVE-2025-38417

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Intel Ethernet (ice) driver. During a network device reset involving Virtual Functions (VFs), the driver allocates memory structures without freeing them when operating in legacy mode. A local user with administrative privileges could trigger this condition by repeatedly initiating a device reset, resulting in a memory leak that can exhaust system resources and lead to a Denial of Service (DoS).

Red Hat rates the impact of this vulnerability as Moderate because exploitation requires local administrative privileges on hosts equipped with Intel 800 series network hardware, restricting the attack surface. The issue only manifests when SR-IOV Virtual Functions operate in legacy mode and undergo repeated device resets, gradually exhausting kernel memory. Standard deployments lacking this specific hardware or environments operating in switchdev mode remain unaffected.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.