In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: sched: fix memory leak in tcindex_set_parms
Kernel uses tcindex_change() to change an existing filter properties.
Yet the problem is that, during the process of changing,
if old_r is retrieved from p->perfect, then
kernel uses tcindex_alloc_perfect_hash() to newly
allocate filter results, uses tcindex_filter_result_init()
to clear the old filter result, without destroying
its tcf_exts structure, which triggers the above memory leak.
To be more specific, there are only two source for the old_r,
according to the tcindex_lookup(). old_r is retrieved from
p->perfect, or old_r is retrieved from p->h.
If old_r is retrieved from p->perfect, kernel uses
tcindex_alloc_perfect_hash() to newly allocate the
filter results. Then r is assigned with cp->perfect + handle,
which is newly allocated. So condition old_r && old_r != r is
true in this situation, and kernel uses tcindex_filter_result_init()
to clear the old filter result, without destroying
its tcf_exts structure
If old_r is retrieved from p->h, then p->perfect is NULL
according to the tcindex_lookup(). Considering that cp->h
is directly copied from p->h and p->perfect is NULL,
r is assigned with tcindex_lookup(cp, handle), whose value
should be the same as old_r, so condition old_r && old_r != r
is false in this situation, kernel ignores using
tcindex_filter_result_init() to clear the old filter result.
So only when old_r is retrieved from p->perfect does kernel use
tcindex_filter_result_init() to clear the old filter result, which
triggers the above memory leak.
Considering that there already exists a tc_filter_wq workqueue to destroy the old tcindex_d ---truncated---
| Software | From | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| linux / linux_kernel | 4.9 | 4.14.308 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 4.15 | 4.19.276 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 4.20 | 5.4.235 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.5 | 5.10.173 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.11 | 5.15.100 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 5.16 | 6.0.19 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.1 | 6.1.18 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.2 | 6.2.5 |
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.