CVE-2026-72342 — net/mlx5e: Fix HV VHCA stats agent registration race
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5e: Fix HV VHCA stats agent registration race mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_create() registers the stats agent through mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_create(). The helper publishes the agent in hv_vhca->agents[type] under agents_lock and immediately schedules an asynchronous control invalidation on the HV VHCA workqueue before returning to mlx5e. The asynchronous invalidation invokes the control agent's invalidate callback, which reads the hypervisor control block and forwards the command to mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_control(). That callback may either: - call cancel_delayed_work_sync(&priv->stats_agent.work), or - call queue_delayed_work(priv->wq, &sagent->work, sagent->delay). However, the delayed_work and priv->stats_agent.agent are only initialized after mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_create() returns to mlx5e: agent = mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_create(...); /* publish + invalidate */ ... priv->stats_agent.agent = agent; /* too late */ INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&priv->stats_agent.work, ...); /* too late */ If the asynchronous control path runs before the two assignments above, it can: - Operate on an uninitialized delayed_work whose timer.function is NULL. queue_delayed_work() calls add_timer() unconditionally, so when the timer expires the timer softirq invokes a NULL function pointer. - Re-initialize the timer later through INIT_DELAYED_WORK() while the timer is already enqueued in the timer wheel, corrupting the hlist (entry.pprev cleared while the previous bucket node still points at this entry). - When the worker eventually runs, mlx5e_hv_vhca_stats_work() reads sagent->agent (NULL) and dereferences it inside mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_write(). Fix this by: - Initializing priv->stats_agent.work before invoking mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_create(), so the work is always in a valid state when the control callback observes it. - Adding a struct mlx5_hv_vhca_agent **ctx_update out-parameter to mlx5_hv_vhca_agent_create(). The helper writes the agent pointer to *ctx_update before publishing into hv_vhca->agents[] and triggering the agents_update flow, so any callback subsequently invoked from that flow already sees a valid priv->stats_agent.agent. This avoids having the control callback participate in agent initialization. While at it, access priv->stats_agent.agent with READ_ONCE()/WRITE_ONCE() for the cross-CPU access with the worker, and clear priv->stats_agent.buf on the agent_create() failure path.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < b0fd6d3bb06182f19f3b59a53f57b5098b99048a≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < 24c77044cdfcf5b8b2e9f3b620d8b9aa392d9add≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < e8fc3304cb67fb1d7d11ff9ef9abd5fb64e7e1d5≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < 60fddda7207d81fea71463abd403f0b10f74f2e1≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < f5677797b094c3ec5fb350eb8ea7710b88a3d018≥ cef35af34d6dc3792333075115c7deb7062b6e18 and < 89b25b5f46f488ea3b29b3444864c76944c9075bversion 5.4 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.4 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.5 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.4 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 8.4
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
6 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/24c77044cdfcf5b8b2e9f3b620d8b9aa392d9add
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5677797b094c3ec5fb350eb8ea7710b88a3d018
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/60fddda7207d81fea71463abd403f0b10f74f2e1
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/89b25b5f46f488ea3b29b3444864c76944c9075b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8fc3304cb67fb1d7d11ff9ef9abd5fb64e7e1d5
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0fd6d3bb06182f19f3b59a53f57b5098b99048a
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 19h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 19h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-72342 is "net/mlx5e: Fix HV VHCA stats agent registration race", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.4 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.20% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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