CVE-2025-71152

Reference counting bugs were found in the Linux kernel's DSA (Distributed Switch Architecture) network driver. The OF (Open Firmware) device tree path never releases the elevated refcount on the conduit's kobject, causing a leak. Additionally, the conduit net device can be unregistered while DSA still holds a stale pointer to it, leading to use-after-free conditions when the conduit is accessed after unregistration.

This vulnerability affects embedded systems using DSA network switches with device tree configurations. The kobject reference leak prevents proper cleanup when unbinding drivers, while the stale pointer issue can cause crashes when the conduit network device is removed during DSA switch operation. Both issues require administrative actions to trigger.

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.