CVE-2026-72109

Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel Blocking Notifier Unregister Failure

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: sparx5: unregister blocking notifier on init failure sparx5_register_notifier_blocks() registers the switchdev blocking notifier before allocating the ordered workqueue. If the workqueue allocation fails, the error path unregisters the switchdev and netdevice notifiers, but leaves the blocking notifier registered. Add a separate error label for the workqueue allocation failure path and unregister the switchdev blocking notifier there.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72109

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59067

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*
linux_kernel	sparx5	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel occurs when the sparx5 network driver fails to initialize properly. During startup, it registers a blocking notifier before allocating a required workqueue. If the workqueue allocation fails, the cleanup process unregisters some notifiers but misses the blocking notifier, leaving it active. This could lead to unexpected behavior or crashes when the blocking notifier is triggered.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's sparx5 driver and involves a failure to unregister a blocking notifier during initialization. Detection would require checking kernel logs for initialization failures in the sparx5 driver or related switchdev components. No direct commands are provided in the context to detect this issue.

Impact Analysis

If you are using a system with the affected Linux kernel and sparx5 network hardware, this vulnerability could cause system instability or crashes during network operations. It may lead to network connectivity issues or unexpected kernel panics if the workqueue allocation fails during driver initialization.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a Linux kernel issue related to notifier block management in the sparx5 driver. No evidence suggests it impacts data protection, privacy, or security controls required by these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version where this issue is resolved. Monitor system logs for errors related to notifier blocks or workqueue failures in the sparx5 driver.

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