CVE-2026-23041

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bnxt_en: Fix NULL pointer crash in bnxt_ptp_enable during error cleanup When bnxt_init_one() fails during initialization (e.g., bnxt_init_int_mode returns -ENODEV), the error path calls bnxt_free_hwrm_resources() which destroys the DMA pool and sets bp->hwrm_dma_pool to NULL. Subsequently, bnxt_ptp_clear() is called, which invokes ptp_clock_unregister(). Since commit a60fc3294a37 ("ptp: rework ptp_clock_unregister() to disable events"), ptp_clock_unregister() now calls ptp_disable_all_events(), which in turn invokes the driver's .enable() callback (bnxt_ptp_enable()) to disable PTP events before completing the unregistration. bnxt_ptp_enable() attempts to send HWRM commands via bnxt_ptp_cfg_pin() and bnxt_ptp_cfg_event(), both of which call hwrm_req_init(). This function tries to allocate from bp->hwrm_dma_pool, causing a NULL pointer dereference: bnxt_en 0000:01:00.0 (unnamed net_device) (uninitialized): bnxt_init_int_mode err: ffffffed KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000028-0x000000000000002f] Call Trace: __hwrm_req_init (drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_hwrm.c:72) bnxt_ptp_enable (drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ptp.c:323 drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ptp.c:517) ptp_disable_all_events (drivers/ptp/ptp_chardev.c:66) ptp_clock_unregister (drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:518) bnxt_ptp_clear (drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt_ptp.c:1134) bnxt_init_one (drivers/net/ethernet/broadcom/bnxt/bnxt.c:16889) Lines are against commit f8f9c1f4d0c7 ("Linux 6.19-rc3") Fix this by clearing and unregistering ptp (bnxt_ptp_clear()) before freeing HWRM resources.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-02-04
Last modified 2026-04-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.18 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.6, 6.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.18
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.6 6.18.x ✓ 6.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-23041 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-23041?

    CVE-2026-23041 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.18 onward and has been patched in 6.18.6 and 6.19. CVE-2026-23041 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-23041?

    Yes — CVE-2026-23041 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.6 and 6.19. If you are running Linux kernel 6.18 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-23041 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-23041 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.