int ip6_forward(struct sk_buff *skb)
{
	struct dst_entry *dst = skb_dst(skb);
	struct ipv6hdr *hdr = ipv6_hdr(skb);
	struct inet6_skb_parm *opt = IP6CB(skb);
	struct net *net = dev_net(dst->dev);
	u32 mtu;

	if (net->ipv6.devconf_all->forwarding == 0)
		goto error;

	if (skb_warn_if_lro(skb))
		goto drop;

	if (!xfrm6_policy_check(NULL, XFRM_POLICY_FWD, skb)) {
		IP6_INC_STATS(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_INDISCARDS);
		goto drop;
	}

	if (skb->pkt_type != PACKET_HOST)
		goto drop;

	skb_forward_csum(skb);

	/*
	 *	We DO NOT make any processing on
	 *	RA packets, pushing them to user level AS IS
	 *	without ane WARRANTY that application will be able
	 *	to interpret them. The reason is that we
	 *	cannot make anything clever here.
	 *
	 *	We are not end-node, so that if packet contains
	 *	AH/ESP, we cannot make anything.
	 *	Defragmentation also would be mistake, RA packets
	 *	cannot be fragmented, because there is no warranty
	 *	that different fragments will go along one path. --ANK
	 */
	if (opt->ra) {
		u8 *ptr = skb_network_header(skb) + opt->ra;
		if (ip6_call_ra_chain(skb, (ptr[2]<<8) + ptr[3]))
			return 0;
	}

	/*
	 *	check and decrement ttl
	 */
	if (hdr->hop_limit <= 1) {
		/* Force OUTPUT device used as source address */
		skb->dev = dst->dev;
		icmpv6_send(skb, ICMPV6_TIME_EXCEED, ICMPV6_EXC_HOPLIMIT, 0);
		IP6_INC_STATS_BH(net,
				 ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_INHDRERRORS);

		kfree_skb(skb);
		return -ETIMEDOUT;
	}

	/* XXX: idev->cnf.proxy_ndp? */
	if (net->ipv6.devconf_all->proxy_ndp &&
	    pneigh_lookup(&nd_tbl, net, &hdr->daddr, skb->dev, 0)) {
		int proxied = ip6_forward_proxy_check(skb);
		if (proxied > 0)
			return ip6_input(skb);
		else if (proxied < 0) {
			IP6_INC_STATS(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst),
				      IPSTATS_MIB_INDISCARDS);
			goto drop;
		}
	}

	if (!xfrm6_route_forward(skb)) {
		IP6_INC_STATS(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_INDISCARDS);
		goto drop;
	}
	dst = skb_dst(skb);

	/* IPv6 specs say nothing about it, but it is clear that we cannot
	   send redirects to source routed frames.
	   We don't send redirects to frames decapsulated from IPsec.
	 */
	if (skb->dev == dst->dev && opt->srcrt == 0 && !skb_sec_path(skb)) {
		struct in6_addr *target = NULL;
		struct inet_peer *peer;
		struct rt6_info *rt;

		/*
		 *	incoming and outgoing devices are the same
		 *	send a redirect.
		 */

		rt = (struct rt6_info *) dst;
		if (rt->rt6i_flags & RTF_GATEWAY)
			target = &rt->rt6i_gateway;
		else
			target = &hdr->daddr;

		peer = inet_getpeer_v6(net->ipv6.peers, &rt->rt6i_dst.addr, 1);

		/* Limit redirects both by destination (here)
		   and by source (inside ndisc_send_redirect)
		 */
		if (inet_peer_xrlim_allow(peer, 1*HZ))
			ndisc_send_redirect(skb, target);
		if (peer)
			inet_putpeer(peer);
	} else {
		int addrtype = ipv6_addr_type(&hdr->saddr);

		/* This check is security critical. */
		if (addrtype == IPV6_ADDR_ANY ||
		    addrtype & (IPV6_ADDR_MULTICAST | IPV6_ADDR_LOOPBACK))
			goto error;
		if (addrtype & IPV6_ADDR_LINKLOCAL) {
			icmpv6_send(skb, ICMPV6_DEST_UNREACH,
				    ICMPV6_NOT_NEIGHBOUR, 0);
			goto error;
		}
	}

	mtu = dst_mtu(dst);
	if (mtu < IPV6_MIN_MTU)
		mtu = IPV6_MIN_MTU;

	if ((!skb->local_df && skb->len > mtu && !skb_is_gso(skb)) ||
	    (IP6CB(skb)->frag_max_size && IP6CB(skb)->frag_max_size > mtu)) {
		/* Again, force OUTPUT device used as source address */
		skb->dev = dst->dev;
		icmpv6_send(skb, ICMPV6_PKT_TOOBIG, 0, mtu);
		IP6_INC_STATS_BH(net,
				 ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_INTOOBIGERRORS);
		IP6_INC_STATS_BH(net,
				 ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_FRAGFAILS);
		kfree_skb(skb);
		return -EMSGSIZE;
	}

	if (skb_cow(skb, dst->dev->hard_header_len)) {
		IP6_INC_STATS(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_OUTDISCARDS);
		goto drop;
	}

	hdr = ipv6_hdr(skb);

	/* Mangling hops number delayed to point after skb COW */

	hdr->hop_limit--;

	IP6_INC_STATS_BH(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_OUTFORWDATAGRAMS);
	IP6_ADD_STATS_BH(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_OUTOCTETS, skb->len);
	return NF_HOOK(NFPROTO_IPV6, NF_INET_FORWARD, skb, skb->dev, dst->dev,
		       ip6_forward_finish);

error:
	IP6_INC_STATS_BH(net, ip6_dst_idev(dst), IPSTATS_MIB_INADDRERRORS);
drop:
	kfree_skb(skb);
	return -EINVAL;
}

This vulnerability category highlights issues in resource management where failures to properly release memory, file handles, or other resources can degrade system performance or enable denial-of-service conditions.