CVE-2025-39858: eth: mlx4: Fix IS_ERR() vs NULL check bug in mlx4_en_create_rx_ring

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-09-19 · updated 2026-10-19
Weakness: CWE-476

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eth: mlx4: Fix IS_ERR() vs NULL check bug in mlx4_en_create_rx_ring Replace NULL check with IS_ERR() check after calling page_pool_create() since this function returns error pointers (ERR_PTR). Using NULL check could lead to invalid pointer dereference.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 6.15 before 6.16.6; 6.17-rc1, 6.17-rc2, 6.17-rc3, 6.17-rc4 — fixed in 6.16.6

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.16.6. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b77d8841a98a9f45c8a615222c698df8dec581c
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e580beaf43d563aaf457f1c7f934002355ebfe7b

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