CVE-2026-97571

Received Received - Intake

Memory Allocation Failure in Linux Kernel bnxt_en Driver

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-10-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bnxt_en: Propagate TPA buffer allocation failures in bnxt_queue_mem_alloc() bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data() returns -ENOMEM as soon as one allocation fails. This leaves the remaining rxr->rx_tpa[] entries zeroed. bnxt_queue_mem_alloc() discards that return value, so the partially initialized ring is installed by bnxt_queue_start(). Since the agg_id is picked by the hardware and bnxt_alloc_agg_idx maps it to a SW index in rxr->rx_tpa[], it is possible that an uninitialized slot can be chosen which would hand a zero DMA address to the device. Fix this by checking the return value of bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data and unwinding, freeing the ring buffers.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-25

Last Modified

2026-10-03

Generated

2026-10-15

AI Q&A

2026-09-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-14

NVD

CVE-2026-97571

EUVD

EUVD-2026-86879

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
bnxt	kernel	*
bnxt	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability in the Broadcom NetXtreme-C/E driver (bnxt_en). It occurs when memory allocation fails during TPA buffer setup. The function bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data returns an error (-ENOMEM) if allocation fails, but bnxt_queue_mem_alloc ignores this and installs a partially initialized ring. This can lead to uninitialized slots being used, potentially handing a zero DMA address to hardware.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's bnxt_en driver and involves TPA buffer allocation failures. Detection would require checking kernel logs for bnxt_en related errors or warnings, particularly around memory allocation failures during driver initialization. Commands like dmesg | grep bnxt or journalctl -k | grep bnxt may help identify issues.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability or crashes if the kernel attempts to use invalid memory addresses. In severe cases, it might allow unauthorized memory access or denial of service by corrupting network operations handled by the bnxt_en driver.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a low-level kernel memory allocation issue in the bnxt_en driver. Compliance impacts would only occur if this flaw led to data breaches or unauthorized access, which is not described in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Check your distribution's security advisories for kernel updates addressing CVE-2026-97571. If using a custom kernel, apply the patch from the Linux kernel source.

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