In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown

ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount.

When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb. If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while references are still held.

Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set.

Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown

ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount.

When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb. If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while references are still held.

Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set.

Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.