net: mvpp2: guard flow control update with global_tx_fc in buffer switching
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mvpp2: guard flow control update with global_tx_fc in buffer switching mvpp2_bm_switch_buffers() unconditionally calls mvpp2_bm_pool_update_priv_fc() when switching between per-cpu and shared buffer pool modes. This function programs CM3 flow control registers via mvpp2_cm3_read()/mvpp2_cm3_write(), which dereference priv->cm3_base without any NULL check. When the CM3 SRAM resource is not present in the device tree (the third reg entry added by commit 60523583b07c ("dts: marvell: add CM3 SRAM memory to cp11x ethernet device tree")), priv->cm3_base remains NULL and priv->global_tx_fc is false. Any operation that triggers mvpp2_bm_switch_buffers(), for example an MTU change that crosses the jumbo frame threshold, will crash: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 Mem abort info: ESR = 0x0000000096000006 EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits pc : readl+0x0/0x18 lr : mvpp2_cm3_read.isra.0+0x14/0x20 Call trace: readl+0x0/0x18 mvpp2_bm_pool_update_fc+0x40/0x12c mvpp2_bm_pool_update_priv_fc+0x94/0xd8 mvpp2_bm_switch_buffers.isra.0+0x80/0x1c0 mvpp2_change_mtu+0x140/0x380 __dev_set_mtu+0x1c/0x38 dev_set_mtu_ext+0x78/0x118 dev_set_mtu+0x48/0xa8 dev_ifsioc+0x21c/0x43c dev_ioctl+0x2d8/0x42c sock_ioctl+0x314/0x378 Every other flow control call site in the driver already guards hardware access with either priv->global_tx_fc or port->tx_fc. mvpp2_bm_switch_buffers() is the only place that omits this check. Add the missing priv->global_tx_fc guard to both the disable and re-enable calls in mvpp2_bm_switch_buffers(), consistent with the rest of the driver.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.12 and later | 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.12 and later Fixed in 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 9
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.12.1 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.78; 6.13 to before 6.18.20; 6.19 to before 6.19.10 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.12 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.12.1 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.78; 6.13 to before 6.18.20; 6.19 to before 6.19.10 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-23438
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-4m78-cvj8-m5m2
References
Patch 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0cfcd31f98fc608dc9406bff3fee3a9dd364d014
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da089f74a993f846685067b14158cb41b879ff29
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff0c54f088f7ab91dbbf47cf8244460f99122750
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7bd20f4b3ef3044dc55acd5b8ef748a70d29d03f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7df2b50cae1a76cbb90b294f3edb61e3e10bf2e9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8baced53a35fc9710f80d6ca016a2c418dc3231f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a63baadf08453f66eb582fdb6dd234f72024723
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Sources
- CVE-2026-23438 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-23438 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4m78-cvj8-m5m2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-23438 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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