NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel fbnic driver channel setup
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel fbnic driver from 6.11 allocates too few NAPI vectors for standalone channels. Each Tx and Rx queue needs one vector, but the allocation path leaves out the maximum Tx queue count, so a 64-Tx/64-Rx configuration gets NULL vector entries that resource setup dereferences.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eth: fbnic: Handle maximum standalone channels Standalone channels use one NAPI vector for each Tx and Rx queue. fbnic's allocation path excludes FBNIC_MAX_TXQS from that layout. A 64-Tx/64-Rx configuration therefore records 128 vectors but allocates only 64, leaving NULL entries that resource setup dereferences. Include the maximum vector count in standalone allocation.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Fixed versions are 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9 and 7.3 for the Linux kernel. Use the fixed version for your release branch.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 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
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98618
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-qp9r-4gxq-qwmm
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98618 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98618 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qp9r-4gxq-qwmm · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98618 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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