net: stmmac: Prevent NULL deref when RX memory exhausted
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- 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 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: stmmac: Prevent NULL deref when RX memory exhausted The CPU receives frames from the MAC through conventional DMA: the CPU allocates buffers for the MAC, then the MAC fills them and returns ownership to the CPU. For each hardware RX queue, the CPU and MAC coordinate through a shared ring array of DMA descriptors: one descriptor per DMA buffer. Each descriptor includes the buffer's physical address and a status flag ("OWN") indicating which side owns the buffer: OWN=0 for CPU, OWN=1 for MAC. The CPU is only allowed to set the flag and the MAC is only allowed to clear it, and both must move through the ring in sequence: thus the ring is used for both "submissions" and "completions." In the stmmac driver, stmmac_rx() bookmarks its position in the ring with the `cur_rx` index. The main receive loop in that function checks for rx_descs[cur_rx].own=0, gives the corresponding buffer to the network stack (NULLing the pointer), and increments `cur_rx` modulo the ring size. After the loop exits, stmmac_rx_refill(), which bookmarks its position with `dirty_rx`, allocates fresh buffers and rearms the descriptors (setting OWN=1). If it fails any allocation, it simply stops early (leaving OWN=0) and will retry where it left off when next called. This means descriptors have a three-stage lifecycle (terms my own): - `empty` (OWN=1, buffer valid) - `full` (OWN=0, buffer valid and populated) - `dirty` (OWN=0, buffer NULL) But because stmmac_rx() only checks OWN, it confuses `full`/`dirty`. In the past (see 'Fixes:'), there was a bug where the loop could cycle `cur_rx` all the way back to the first descriptor it dirtied, resulting in a NULL dereference when mistaken for `full`. The aforementioned commit resolved that *specific* failure by capping the loop's iteration limit at `dma_rx_size - 1`, but this is only a partial fix: if the previous stmmac_rx_refill() didn't complete, then there are leftover `dirty` descriptors that the loop might encounter without needing to cycle fully around. The current code therefore panics (see 'Closes:') when stmmac_rx_refill() is memory-starved long enough for `cur_rx` to catch up to `dirty_rx`. Fix this by explicitly checking, before advancing `cur_rx`, if the next entry is dirty; exit the loop if so. This prevents processing of the final, used descriptor until stmmac_rx_refill() succeeds, but fully prevents the `cur_rx == dirty_rx` ambiguity as the previous bugfix intended: so remove the clamp as well. Since stmmac_rx_zc() is a copy-paste-and-tweak of stmmac_rx() and the code structure is identical, any fix to stmmac_rx() will also need a corresponding fix for stmmac_rx_zc(). Therefore, apply the same check there. In stmmac_rx() (not stmmac_rx_zc()), a related bug remains: after the MAC sets OWN=0 on the final descriptor, it will be unable to send any further DMA-complete IRQs until it's given more `empty` descriptors. Currently, the driver simply *hopes* that the next stmmac_rx_refill() succeeds, risking an indefinite stall of the receive process if not. But this is not a regression, so it can be addressed in a future change.
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 | 6.1.64 to before 6.1.176; 6.6.3 to before 6.6.140; 6.5.13 to before 6.6 | 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.6 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 6.7 and later | 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.1.64 to before 6.1.176; 6.6.3 to before 6.6.140; 6.5.13 to before 6.6 Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.6 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.7 and later Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 10
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1.64 to before 6.1.176; 6.5.13 to before 6.6; 6.6.3 to before 6.6.140; 6.7.1 to before 6.12.88; 6.13 to before 6.18.30; 6.19 to before 7.0.7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.7 rc8 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.1 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1.64 to before 6.1.176; 6.5.13 to before 6.6; 6.6.3 to before 6.6.140; 6.7.1 to before 6.12.88; 6.13 to before 6.18.30; 6.19 to before 7.0.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.7:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.7 rc8 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.6
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
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-2026-46110
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5hfj-3vgw-hm4r
- 2026-10-20 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
Patch 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdeb95b1fc7de25c9362990efb9996a8d761055c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1c50b273298c7cd9b08b113e7a7598b531a02f5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c910f7708e3c507b037ca91ca5b09f8cfe71e65
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4af2e62cbcda575a174acd230c3f3a208135e16d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/950cb436165aad0f8f2cd49da3cd07677465bcde
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0bb05e6adfa99a2ea1fee1125cc0953409f83ed8
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Sources
- CVE-2026-46110 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-46110 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5hfj-3vgw-hm4r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-46110 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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