Vulnerability · Published Aug 15, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2026-72343net/mlx5e: Fix HV VHCA stats zero-sized buffer allocation

High 8.4

In plain English

A high-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 9% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)8.4High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.7% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix HV VHCA stats zero-sized buffer allocation mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_create() is called from mlx5e_nic_enable(), before mlx5e_open(). At that point priv->stats_nch is still zero, because it is only ever incremented in mlx5e_channel_stats_alloc(), which is reached only from mlx5e_open_channel(). mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_buf_size() therefore returns 0, and kvzalloc(0, GFP_KERNEL) returns ZERO_SIZE_PTR ((void *)16) rather than NULL. The "if (!buf)" guard does not catch this, and mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_create() completes "successfully" with priv->stats_agent.buf set to ZERO_SIZE_PTR. Once channels are opened (priv->stats_nch > 0) and the hypervisor enables stats reporting, mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_work() recomputes buf_len using the new non-zero stats_nch and calls memset(buf, 0, buf_len) on ZERO_SIZE_PTR, faulting at address 0x10. Allocate the buffer based on priv->max_nch, which is set in mlx5e_priv_init() and is the upper bound on stats_nch: - Add a separate helper mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_buf_max_size() that returns sizeof(per_ring_stats) * max(max_nch, stats_nch), and use it for the kvzalloc() in mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_create(). - Keep mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_buf_size() (which returns based on stats_nch) for the worker's active payload size, so the wire format (block->rings = stats_nch) and the amount of data filled by mlx5e_hv_vhca_fill_stats() are unchanged. The max(max_nch, stats_nch) guard handles the rare case where mlx5e_attach_netdev() recomputes max_nch downward across a detach/resume cycle while priv->stats_nch persists (mlx5e_detach_netdev does not call mlx5e_priv_cleanup, so stats_nch is only reset when the netdev is destroyed). Without the guard, the worker could compute buf_len from stats_nch and overrun the smaller buffer allocated based on the reduced max_nch. Allocating a non-zero buffer also makes the kvzalloc() failure path in mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_create() reachable for the first time: it returns early without (re)creating the agent. Clear priv->stats_agent.{agent,buf} in mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_destroy() after freeing them, so that if a later create() bails out on this path, a subsequent teardown does not double-free the stale agent/buffer left from a previous enable/disable cycle. This mirrors the existing mlx5e pattern of preallocating arrays of size max_nch (e.g. priv->channel_stats) and lazily populating entries up to stats_nch on demand.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:12linux6.1.180-1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72343
Debian:13linux6.12.100-1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72343
Debian:14linux7.1.5-1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux6.8.0-147.147UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux7.0.0-38.38UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws6.8.0-1067.70UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-aws7.0.0-1014.14UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-7.07.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure6.8.0-1071.79UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azure7.0.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-7.07.0.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde6.8.0-1069.76UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde7.0.0-1016.16UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-7.07.0.0-1016.16~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp6.8.0-1071.79UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gcp7.0.0-1014.14UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-7.07.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gke6.8.0-1066.74UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gke7.0.0-1008.9UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gkeop6.8.0-1052.56UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-7.07.0.0-38.38~24.04.4UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-ibm6.8.0-1067.68UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-ibm7.0.0-1015.15UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-ibm-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency6.8.0-147.147.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-7.07.0.0-1024.25~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-bos7.0.0-2022.23UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-lowlatencyno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-tegra6.8.0-1036.39UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oem-7.07.0.0-1015.15UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle6.8.0-1064.67UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oracle7.0.0-1013.13UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-7.07.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspino fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-raspino fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-realtime7.0.0-38.38.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-riscv7.0.0-38.38.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-7.07.0.0-38.38.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-vmware6.8.0-1008.8UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-xilinxno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72343

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before 3b3a552cf88e10bb7bda88b29cf1fd8267043d50fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before 5b927dcec5f1087942bf123a82e64a3f66475f01fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before 22c1d5ecccf92c849bdca1556179aafc95794baffa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before 420aabb32da4381d8d7cdcaa6a77fad9eaceb0a4fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before abc4c56427f144c96b2827a4db3b90eb5b7349a2fa691d0c9c0812b9045f3a9420862e47b3b92518 – before 25f6b929c7e379cbea7cb8caa67b49b2d1efae17
Linux Linux 5.17

References