CVE-2026-63973
Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel MANA Driver

Publication date: 2026-07-19

Last updated on: 2026-07-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mana: Add NULL guards in teardown path to prevent panic on attach failure When queue allocation fails partway through, the error cleanup frees and NULLs apc->tx_qp and apc->rxqs. Multiple teardown paths such as mana_remove(), mana_change_mtu() recovery, and internal error handling in mana_alloc_queues() can subsequently call into functions that dereference these pointers without NULL checks: - mana_chn_setxdp() dereferences apc->rxqs[0], causing a NULL pointer dereference panic (CR2: 0000000000000000 at mana_chn_setxdp+0x26). - mana_destroy_vport() iterates apc->rxqs without a NULL check. - mana_fence_rqs() iterates apc->rxqs without a NULL check. - mana_dealloc_queues() iterates apc->tx_qp without a NULL check. Add NULL guards for apc->rxqs in mana_fence_rqs(), mana_destroy_vport(), and before the mana_chn_setxdp() call. Add a NULL guard for apc->tx_qp in mana_dealloc_queues() to skip TX queue draining when TX queues were never allocated or already freed.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-19
Last Modified
2026-07-19
Generated
2026-07-20
AI Q&A
2026-07-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-63973
EUVD
EUVD-2026-45746

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel occurs when queue allocation fails during setup. The cleanup process then frees and sets pointers to NULL, but subsequent error handling paths may dereference these NULL pointers without checks. This leads to a NULL pointer dereference panic, crashing the system.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's mana driver and may cause kernel panics during queue allocation failures. Detection requires checking kernel logs for NULL pointer dereference errors in mana-related functions like mana_chn_setxdp, mana_destroy_vport, or mana_fence_rqs. Monitor system logs for crashes or errors during network operations involving mana NICs.

Impact Analysis

If you use a Linux system with the affected kernel component (mana driver), this vulnerability could cause system crashes when queue allocation fails. This may lead to denial of service, data loss, or require a system reboot to recover.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a Linux kernel driver issue causing system crashes under specific failure conditions. Compliance impacts would only occur if the crash led to data loss or unauthorized access, which is not described in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that adds NULL guards in the mana driver teardown path. Update to a fixed Linux kernel version where this issue is resolved. If using a mana NIC, avoid operations that trigger queue allocation failures until patched. Monitor vendor advisories for driver updates.

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