CVE-2025-71236
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2026-02-18
Last updated on: 2026-03-18
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.1 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.164 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.201 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.125 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.72 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.11 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 4.16 (inc) to 5.10.251 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-476 | The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's qla2xxx SCSI driver. It occurs because the code does not properly validate a pointer named 'sp' before freeing the associated memory. This can lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing the kernel to crash.
The issue manifests as a system crash with a kernel NULL pointer dereference error, as shown in the provided kernel log signature. The fix involves checking that 'sp' is not NULL before attempting to free its associated memory.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause a system crash due to a NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel. Such crashes can lead to denial of service (DoS) conditions, where the affected system becomes unresponsive or requires a reboot.
If the system is running critical workloads or services, this instability can result in downtime, potential data loss, or disruption of operations.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring the system logs for specific kernel crash signatures related to the qla2xxx driver. Look for kernel messages indicating a NULL pointer dereference and errors involving qla2xxx, such as the following signature in the kernel log:
- [154565.553079] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000f8
- [154565.553082] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
- [154565.553097] RIP: 0010:qla_fab_async_scan.part.0+0x40b/0x870 [qla2xxx]
To detect this on your system, you can use commands to check the kernel logs such as:
- dmesg | grep -i qla2xxx
- journalctl -k | grep -i qla2xxx
- grep -i 'NULL pointer dereference' /var/log/messages
These commands help identify if the system has experienced crashes or errors related to this vulnerability.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The immediate mitigation step is to ensure that the Linux kernel version in use includes the patch that validates the pointer 'sp' before freeing associated memory in the qla2xxx driver. This prevents the NULL pointer dereference and system crash.
If an updated kernel is not yet available, consider temporarily disabling or unloading the qla2xxx driver to prevent triggering the vulnerability, if feasible in your environment.
Regularly monitor system logs for signs of the issue and apply kernel updates as soon as they are released.