CVE-2026-98619 (GCVE-0-2026-98619)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-10-18 15:19 – Updated: 2026-10-19 09:22
VLAI
Title
net: ethtool: keep rtnl_lock for the ioctl self test
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ethtool: keep rtnl_lock for the ioctl self test An offline self test that brings the interface down and back up with netif_close() / netif_open() requires rtnl_lock for both. Since the ethtool IOCTL path became rtnl-optional for ops-locked drivers, the ETHTOOL_TEST ioctl runs holding only the netdev instance lock, so on an ops-locked driver the self test now tears the device down without rtnl_lock. With lockdep this reproduces deterministically on every offline self test on such a driver; note the sole lock held is the instance lock, not rtnl: WARNING: suspicious RCU usage net/core/netpoll.c:207 suspicious rcu_dereference_protected() usage! 1 lock held by ethtool/107: #0: (&dev->lock){+.+.}, at: dev_ethtool Call Trace: netpoll_poll_disable __dev_close_many netif_close_many netif_close fbnic_self_test dev_ethtool_locked dev_ethtool dev_ioctl sock_ioctl __x64_sys_ioctl Without lockdep the same condition trips ASSERT_RTNL() in __dev_close_many() / __dev_open(); that check only samples the global rtnl state, so it can be masked by a concurrent rtnl holder, but the device is still being reconfigured without the lock it requires. The ethtool self_test is a legacy ioctl-only command, so an ETHTOOL_TEST case is only needed on the ioctl path. Add an opt-in bit for drivers whose self test needs rtnl_lock and set it on the ops-locked drivers whose offline self test tears the interface down and up: - fbnic (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): fbnic_self_test() offline path uses netif_close() / netif_open(). - bnxt (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): bnxt_self_test() offline path goes through bnxt_close_nic() / bnxt_half_open_nic() / bnxt_half_close_nic() / bnxt_open_nic(), which close and reopen the device.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
Linux CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 6641 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: f994752b11273ded7ec6b49ae5c1d319eef21743 , < 4ca1503491f1f25a954c13ac5775bf6775c5abc8 (git)
Affected: f994752b11273ded7ec6b49ae5c1d319eef21743 , < 1b82958f3f035df5ccaab5430a2302f08a5d5351 (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 7.2
Unaffected: 0 , < 7.2 (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2.9 , ≤ 7.2.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.3 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ethtool.c",
            "drivers/net/ethernet/meta/fbnic/fbnic_ethtool.c",
            "include/linux/ethtool.h",
            "net/ethtool/common.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "f994752b11273ded7ec6b49ae5c1d319eef21743",
              "versionType": "git"
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            "drivers/net/ethernet/meta/fbnic/fbnic_ethtool.c",
            "include/linux/ethtool.h",
            "net/ethtool/common.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
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      "cpeApplicability": [
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: ethtool: keep rtnl_lock for the ioctl self test\n\nAn offline self test that brings the interface down and back up with\nnetif_close() / netif_open() requires rtnl_lock for both. Since the\nethtool IOCTL path became rtnl-optional for ops-locked drivers, the\nETHTOOL_TEST ioctl runs holding only the netdev instance lock, so on an\nops-locked driver the self test now tears the device down without\nrtnl_lock.\n\nWith lockdep this reproduces deterministically on every offline self\ntest on such a driver; note the sole lock held is the instance lock, not\nrtnl:\n\n  WARNING: suspicious RCU usage\n  net/core/netpoll.c:207 suspicious rcu_dereference_protected() usage!\n  1 lock held by ethtool/107:\n   #0: (\u0026dev-\u003elock){+.+.}, at: dev_ethtool\n  Call Trace:\n   netpoll_poll_disable\n   __dev_close_many\n   netif_close_many\n   netif_close\n   fbnic_self_test\n   dev_ethtool_locked\n   dev_ethtool\n   dev_ioctl\n   sock_ioctl\n   __x64_sys_ioctl\n\nWithout lockdep the same condition trips ASSERT_RTNL() in\n__dev_close_many() / __dev_open(); that check only samples the global\nrtnl state, so it can be masked by a concurrent rtnl holder, but the\ndevice is still being reconfigured without the lock it requires.\n\nThe ethtool self_test is a legacy ioctl-only command, so an ETHTOOL_TEST\ncase is only needed on the ioctl path. Add an opt-in bit for drivers whose\nself test needs rtnl_lock and set it on the ops-locked drivers whose\noffline self test tears the interface down and up:\n\n  - fbnic (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): fbnic_self_test() offline path\n    uses netif_close() / netif_open().\n  - bnxt (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): bnxt_self_test() offline path\n    goes through bnxt_close_nic() / bnxt_half_open_nic() /\n    bnxt_half_close_nic() / bnxt_open_nic(), which close and reopen the\n    device."
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-19T09:22:47.182Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b82958f3f035df5ccaab5430a2302f08a5d5351"
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    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-98619",
    "datePublished": "2026-10-18T15:19:39.448Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-09-25T10:25:14.360Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-10-19T09:22:47.182Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
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  "dataVersion": "5.2",
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      "date": "2026-11-12",
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                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ethtool.c",
                  "drivers/net/ethernet/meta/fbnic/fbnic_ethtool.c",
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        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: ethtool: keep rtnl_lock for the ioctl self test\n\nAn offline self test that brings the interface down and back up with\nnetif_close() / netif_open() requires rtnl_lock for both. Since the\nethtool IOCTL path became rtnl-optional for ops-locked drivers, the\nETHTOOL_TEST ioctl runs holding only the netdev instance lock, so on an\nops-locked driver the self test now tears the device down without\nrtnl_lock.\n\nWith lockdep this reproduces deterministically on every offline self\ntest on such a driver; note the sole lock held is the instance lock, not\nrtnl:\n\n  WARNING: suspicious RCU usage\n  net/core/netpoll.c:207 suspicious rcu_dereference_protected() usage!\n  1 lock held by ethtool/107:\n   #0: (\u0026dev-\u003elock){+.+.}, at: dev_ethtool\n  Call Trace:\n   netpoll_poll_disable\n   __dev_close_many\n   netif_close_many\n   netif_close\n   fbnic_self_test\n   dev_ethtool_locked\n   dev_ethtool\n   dev_ioctl\n   sock_ioctl\n   __x64_sys_ioctl\n\nWithout lockdep the same condition trips ASSERT_RTNL() in\n__dev_close_many() / __dev_open(); that check only samples the global\nrtnl state, so it can be masked by a concurrent rtnl holder, but the\ndevice is still being reconfigured without the lock it requires.\n\nThe ethtool self_test is a legacy ioctl-only command, so an ETHTOOL_TEST\ncase is only needed on the ioctl path. Add an opt-in bit for drivers whose\nself test needs rtnl_lock and set it on the ops-locked drivers whose\noffline self test tears the interface down and up:\n\n  - fbnic (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): fbnic_self_test() offline path\n    uses netif_close() / netif_open().\n  - bnxt (ops-locked via queue_mgmt_ops): bnxt_self_test() offline path\n    goes through bnxt_close_nic() / bnxt_half_open_nic() /\n    bnxt_half_close_nic() / bnxt_open_nic(), which close and reopen the\n    device."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-98619",
        "lastModified": "2026-10-19T10:19:26.000",
        "metrics": {},
        "published": "2026-10-18T16:17:14.787",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
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        "vulnStatus": "Received"
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      "current_release_date": "2026-11-07T11:31:06+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-98619",
      "id": "CVE-2026-98619",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-10-18T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "203",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: net: ethtool: keep rtnl_lock for the ioctl self test",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98619.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
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      "current_release_date": "2026-11-04T17:55:30Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-98619",
      "id": "CVE-2026-98619",
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      "product_status:known_not_affected": "348",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-98619",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/2026/cve-2026-98619.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



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