CVE-2026-64120 (GCVE-0-2026-64120)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-07-19 15:40 – Updated: 2026-07-19 15:40
VLAI
Title
net: ethtool: fix NULL pointer dereference in phy_reply_size
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ethtool: fix NULL pointer dereference in phy_reply_size In phy_prepare_data(), several strings such as 'name', 'drvname', 'upstream_sfp_name', and 'downstream_sfp_name' are allocated using kstrdup(). However, these allocations were not checked for failure. If kstrdup() fails for 'name', it returns NULL while the function continues. This leads to a kernel NULL pointer dereference and panic later in phy_reply_size() when it unconditionally calls strlen() on the NULL pointer. While other strings like 'upstream_sfp_name' might be checked before access in certain code paths, failing to handle these allocations consistently can lead to incomplete data reporting or hidden bugs. Fix this by adding proper NULL checks for all kstrdup() calls in phy_prepare_data() and implement a centralized error handling path using goto labels to ensure all previously allocated resources are freed on failure.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Affected: 9dd2ad5e92b962d1349a7541d167e8e214e49f95 , < 61f53c1e58d68723bc1db10912a53f1991f08719 (git)
Affected: 9dd2ad5e92b962d1349a7541d167e8e214e49f95 , < 3dbe20a3809347bacda890822e7ca013bd85a18c (git)
Affected: 9dd2ad5e92b962d1349a7541d167e8e214e49f95 , < 4908f1395fb1b832ceec11584af649874a2732ea (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 6.16
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.16 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.34 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.0.11 , ≤ 7.0.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
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          "programFiles": [
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: ethtool: fix NULL pointer dereference in phy_reply_size\n\nIn phy_prepare_data(), several strings such as \u0027name\u0027, \u0027drvname\u0027,\n\u0027upstream_sfp_name\u0027, and \u0027downstream_sfp_name\u0027 are allocated using\nkstrdup(). However, these allocations were not checked  for failure.\n\nIf kstrdup() fails for \u0027name\u0027, it returns NULL while the function\ncontinues. This leads to a kernel NULL pointer dereference and panic\nlater in phy_reply_size() when it unconditionally calls strlen() on\nthe NULL pointer.\n\nWhile other strings like \u0027upstream_sfp_name\u0027 might be checked before\naccess in certain code paths, failing to handle these allocations\nconsistently can lead to incomplete data reporting or hidden bugs.\n\nFix this by adding proper NULL checks for all kstrdup() calls in\nphy_prepare_data() and implement a centralized error handling path\nusing goto labels to ensure all previously allocated resources are\nfreed on failure."
        }
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        "dateUpdated": "2026-07-19T15:40:19.044Z",
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        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4908f1395fb1b832ceec11584af649874a2732ea"
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    "datePublished": "2026-07-19T15:40:19.044Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-07-19T07:54:57.036Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-07-19T15:40:19.044Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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    "redhat_vex": {
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      "product_status:known_affected": "76",
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      "title": "kernel: net: ethtool: fix NULL pointer dereference in phy_reply_size",
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      "cve": "CVE-2026-64120",
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      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
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      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-64120",
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}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

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  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
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  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


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