A race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel bonding driver allows local attackers to cause a system crash or manipulate network interface promiscuity states.

This is a race condition (CWE-362) occurring within the bond_alb_monitor function of the Linux bonding driver. An attacker with low privileges can trigger a null pointer dereference or state inconsistency by racing against the registration of network interface changes under RTNL locks.

The primary risk is system instability, as the vulnerability can trigger a general protection fault leading to a kernel panic and subsequent denial of service. Furthermore, the manipulation of the promiscuity counter may lead to unexpected network behavior, potentially exposing sensitive traffic on the affected interface. Given the CVSS score of 7.3, this flaw poses a significant risk to the availability and integrity of systems utilizing bonding configurations.

Immediate Action: Apply the vendor-provided security patches by updating the Linux kernel to version 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, or newer.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor system logs for recurring kernel panics, general protection faults, or unexpected network interface state changes related to bonding drivers.

Compensating Controls: Restrict local access to the system to authorized users only, as the vulnerability requires local access to the target host to trigger the race condition.

Public Exploit Available: Unknown

This vulnerability represents a significant stability risk for servers employing bonding interfaces. System administrators should prioritize the deployment of the patched kernel versions during the next scheduled maintenance window. Because the flaw requires local access, hardening system access controls remains a critical secondary defense while the kernel update is being staged and validated.