NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel sparx5 PTP cleanup
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 sparx5 network driver in the Linux kernel, affected from version 5.18, returns early during PTP initialization on some lan969x variants and when no ptp interrupt is described. Its PTP deinit path still cleans up per-port tx_skbs queues that were never initialized, causing a NULL pointer dereference. Unbinding the driver triggers the crash.
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: net: sparx5: skip ptp deinit if init was skipped sparx5_ptp_init() returns early on the base lan969x variants because they do not have the SPX5_FEATURE_PTP flag. It also returns early when no "ptp" interrupt is described. Unbinding the driver then causes a NULL pointer dereference when cleaning up uninitialized tx_skbs queues: Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000008 Call trace: skb_queue_purge_reason+0x68/0x120 (P) sparx5_ptp_deinit+0x64/0xc0 mchp_sparx5_remove+0x38/0x70 platform_remove+0x20/0x30 device_remove+0x4c/0x80 Before per-port tx_skbs were added, a NULL dereference would have happened when calling ptp_clock_unregister() on the never-registered PTP clocks. Fix by returning early in sparx5_ptp_deinit() if PTP is not used.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3, which contain the fix. The fix returns early in sparx5_ptp_deinit() when PTP is not used.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 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-2026-98795
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-9hv5-vqfc-jqjg
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98795 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98795 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9hv5-vqfc-jqjg · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98795 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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