In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix metadata_dst leak __bpf_redirect_neigh_v{4,6}
Cilium has a BPF egress gateway feature which forces outgoing K8s Pod
traffic to pass through dedicated egress gateways which then SNAT the
traffic in order to interact with stable IPs outside the cluster.
The traffic is directed to the gateway via vxlan tunnel in collect md
mode. A recent BPF change utilized the bpf_redirect_neigh() helper to
forward packets after the arrival and decap on vxlan, which turned out
over time that the kmalloc-256 slab usage in kernel was ever-increasing.
The issue was that vxlan allocates the metadata_dst object and attaches
it through a fake dst entry to the skb. The latter was never released
though given bpf_redirect_neigh() was merely setting the new dst entry
via skb_dst_set() without dropping an existing one first.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel memory leak can steadily consume kernel memory when traffic follows a specific BPF, VXLAN, and neighbor-redirection path. Sustained use may eventually degrade or disrupt affected Kubernetes nodes. The supplied assessment scores availability impact at CVSS 7.5; it does not identify confidentiality or integrity impact.
Executive priority
Prioritize affected Kubernetes or network nodes using this exact traffic path because continued packet processing may exhaust kernel memory and interrupt workloads. For systems without the implicated configuration, first confirm exposure rather than treating every Linux host as equally urgent.
Technical view
VXLAN attaches an allocated metadata_dst object to the socket buffer. The affected bpf_redirect_neigh IPv4 and IPv6 paths replace the destination using skb_dst_set without first releasing the existing destination reference. Repeated traffic can therefore produce increasing kmalloc-256 slab consumption and eventual resource exhaustion.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems using the implicated BPF redirection path with VXLAN collect-metadata mode, including the described Cilium egress-gateway traffic flow. The bundle lists affected kernel versions across multiple branches, but its version data is ambiguous; distribution-specific kernel status requires confirmation.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector describes network-reachable, low-complexity availability impact without privileges or user interaction. However, the described behavior depends on a specific configured packet path. KEV is false, and the supplied sources provide no evidence of active exploitation or a public weaponized exploit.
Researcher notes
The root cause is a destination-reference leak, not a disclosed memory corruption primitive. The correction must release an existing skb destination before installing the replacement. Exact affected and fixed package boundaries cannot be reliably derived from the bundle's duplicated commit entries and ambiguous version array; use vendor mappings.
Mitigation direction
Identify nodes using Cilium egress gateways, VXLAN collect-metadata mode, and bpf_redirect_neigh.
Obtain the appropriate fixed kernel package from the operating-system or appliance vendor.
Confirm the updated kernel incorporates the relevant supplied Linux stable commit.
Follow vendor guidance before changing the implicated networking path as a temporary risk reduction.
Validation and detection
Record running kernel versions and map them against vendor CVE advisories and fixed package releases.
Check kernel changelogs for the relevant supplied stable commit.
Monitor kmalloc-256 slab consumption for sustained unexplained growth on potentially exposed nodes.
After updating, verify nodes booted into the corrected kernel and networking remains operational.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
cve · low confidence lookup
CVE-2025-40183 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
8Source links
CVSS vector scores
1 official score
We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.