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OpenAdvisories
High · 7.5 CVE-2026-46110 EUVD-2026-32869GHSA-5hfj-3vgw-hm4r

net: stmmac: Prevent NULL deref when RX memory exhausted

Published May 28, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: kernel Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.14 Package: linux-aws-6.17 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-aws-6.8 Package: linux-aws-fips Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.14 Package: linux-azure-6.17 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-6.8 Package: linux-azure-7.0 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.14 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.8 Package: linux-azure-fde-7.0 Package: linux-azure-fips Package: linux-azure-nvidia Package: linux-azure-nvidia-6.14 Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.14 Package: linux-gcp-6.17 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gcp-6.8 Package: linux-gcp-7.0 Package: linux-gcp-fips Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.14 Package: linux-hwe-6.17 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-hwe-7.0 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-6.8 Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.17 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia-7.0 Package: linux-nvidia-bos Package: linux-nvidia-lowlatency Package: linux-nvidia-tegra Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.14 Package: linux-oem-6.17 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oem-7.0 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.14 Package: linux-oracle-6.17 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-oracle-6.8 Package: linux-oracle-7.0 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 Package: linux-realtime-6.17 Package: linux-realtime-6.8 Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.17 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-riscv-6.8 Package: linux-riscv-7.0 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Azure Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 6.1.64 – < 6.1.176, 6.6.3 – < 6.6.140, 6.5.13 – < 6.6, 6.7 6.1.176

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 7.0.7-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.12.88-1 —
Debian 12 linux 6.1.176-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS linux-bluefield 6.8.0-1028.33 —
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux 7.0.0-28.28 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-aws +2 7.0.0-1009.9 USN-8618-1, USN-8603-1, USN-8568-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gcp +1 7.0.0-1008.8 USN-8593-1, USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gke 7.0.0-1003.4 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-ibm +1 7.0.0-1010.10 USN-8603-1, USN-8593-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-nvidia 7.0.0-1016.16 USN-8663-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-nvidia-bos 7.0.0-2016.16 USN-8664-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-raspi 7.0.0-1015.15 USN-8618-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-riscv +1 7.0.0-28.28.1 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux +8 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux 6.8.0-136.136 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws 6.8.0-1061.64 USN-8595-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure 6.8.0-1063.71 USN-8606-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-7.0 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1 USN-8728-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 6.8.0-1062.69 USN-8607-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-7.0 7.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp 6.8.0-1064.72 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-7.0 +1 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1 USN-8728-3, USN-8728-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gke 6.8.0-1059.67 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gkeop 6.8.0-1046.50 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-7.0 7.0.0-28.28~24.04.1 USN-8569-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-ibm 6.8.0-1061.62 USN-8574-3
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-lowlatency 6.8.0-136.136.2 USN-8574-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia 6.8.0-1059.62 USN-8596-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-7.0 7.0.0-1016.16~24.04.1 USN-8663-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-lowlatency 6.8.0-1059.62.1 USN-8596-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 6.8.0-1030.31 USN-8574-3
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle 6.8.0-1058.61 USN-8574-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi 6.8.0-1061.65 USN-8665-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +27 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-7.0 7.0.0-28.28.1~24.04.3 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-vmware 6.8.0-1008.8 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-xilinx 6.8.0-1033.34 USN-8574-3
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws-6.8 6.8.0-1061.64~22.04.1 USN-8595-3
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-6.8 6.8.0-1063.71~22.04.1 USN-8606-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-6.8 6.8.0-1062.69~22.04.1 USN-8609-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.8 6.8.0-1064.72~22.04.1 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-136.136~22.04.1 USN-8619-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm-6.8 6.8.0-1061.62~22.04.1 USN-8574-3
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-136.136.2~22.04.1 USN-8574-2
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-6.8 6.8.0-1059.62~22.04.1 USN-8596-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle-6.8 6.8.0-1058.61~22.04.1 USN-8595-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv-6.8 6.8.0-136.136~22.04.3 —
Show 6 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-raspi-realtime 6.8.0-2050.52 USN-8665-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime 6.8.1-1056.57 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.14 +1 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.8 6.8.1-1056.57~22.04.2 USN-8567-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-aws-fips 6.8.0-1061.64+fips1 USN-8595-3
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fips 6.8.0-1063.71+fips2 USN-8608-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-fips 6.8.0-136.136+fips2 USN-8574-2
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-fips 6.8.0-1064.72+fips1 USN-8574-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-64kb +6 6.4.0-150700.53.60.1 SUSE-SU-2026:2482-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150700.53.60.1.150700.17.35.4 SUSE-SU-2026:2482-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-obs-build 6.4.0-150700.53.60.2 SUSE-SU-2026:2482-1
Show 7 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.34.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22087-1
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.34.1.160000.2.15 SUSE-SU-2026:22087-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.34.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22087-1, SUSE-SU-2026:22076-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.34.1.160000.2.15 SUSE-SU-2026:22087-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.34.1.160000.2.15 SUSE-SU-2026:22048-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-rt +5 6.12.0-160000.34.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22048-1, SUSE-SU-2026:22043-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-47.1.21.24 SUSE-SU-2026:22137-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-rt +1 6.4.0-48.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22458-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-source +2 6.4.0-47.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22137-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-47.1.21.24 SUSE-SU-2026:22108-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-rt +1 6.4.0-48.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22433-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-source +2 6.4.0-47.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22108-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-default 6.4.0-150700.53.60.1 SUSE-SU-2026:2482-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_16 1-150700.1.5.2 SUSE-SU-2026:2591-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_16 1-150700.15.3.2 SUSE-SU-2026:2482-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 kernel-rt +1 6.4.0-150700.7.59.2 SUSE-SU-2026:2591-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 kernel-syms-rt 6.4.0-150700.7.59.1 SUSE-SU-2026:2591-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Tumbleweed kernel-source 7.0.11-1.1 openSUSE-SU-2026:10954-1

Azure Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Azure Linux 3 kernel 6.6.141.1-1 —

Advisories 40

References