Security assessments indicate that CVE-2025-71090 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Last updated: 🕕 25 Mar 2026, 18:12 UTC
Originally published on: 🕓 13 Jan 2026, 16:16 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 71 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2025-71090: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix nfsd_file reference leak in nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg() nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg() unconditionally overwrites fp->fi_fds[O_RDONLY] with a newly acquired nfsd_file. However, if the client already has a SHARE_ACCESS_READ open from a previous OPEN operation, this action overwrites the existing pointer without releasing its reference, orphaning the previous reference. Additionally, the function originally stored the same nfsd_file pointer in both fp->fi_fds[O_RDONLY] and fp->fi_rdeleg_file with only a single reference. When put_deleg_file() runs, it clears fi_rdeleg_file and calls nfs4_file_put_access() to release the file. However, nfs4_file_put_access() only releases fi_fds[O_RDONLY] when the fi_access[O_RDONLY] counter drops to zero. If another READ open exists on the file, the counter remains elevated and the nfsd_file reference from the delegation is never released. This potentially causes open conflicts on that file. Then, on server shutdown, these leaks cause __nfsd_file_cache_purge() to encounter files with an elevated reference count that cannot be cleaned up, ultimately triggering a BUG() in kmem_cache_destroy() because there are still nfsd_file objects allocated in that cache.
The exploitability of CVE-2025-71090 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2025-71090 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2025-71090, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2025-71090, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
NVD-CWE-Other
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