High

CVE-2026-89511 — qede: Fix NULL pointer dereference in TPA fragment processing

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: qede: Fix NULL pointer dereference in TPA fragment processing Under memory pressure, the qede driver encounters NULL pointer dereferences when processing TPA continuation fragments. Commit 8a8633978b84 ("qede: Add build_skb() support.") accidentally dropped the assignment of tpa_info->buffer.data in qede_tpa_start(). When memory pressure causes an SKB allocation failure in qede_tpa_start(), the driver sets tpa_start_fail = true and attempts to recycle the physical page later in qede_tpa_end() via qede_reuse_page(). However, because buffer.data was left uninitialized (NULL), qede_reuse_page() pushes a "ghost" BD (valid DMA mapping but NULL data pointer) back into the active Rx ring. The next time the hardware uses this ring slot, it passes a NULL page to qede_fill_frag_skb(), causing a kernel panic. Example crash from production system: BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0x8 RIP: qede_fill_frag_skb+0x96/0x430 [qede] Call Trace: qede_rx_int+0xb06/0x1de0 qede_poll+0x2f4/0x6c0 __napi_poll+0x2d/0x130 Fix the root cause by restoring the tpa_info->buffer.data assignment in qede_tpa_start(), ensuring valid pages are correctly tracked and recycled. Additionally, update the stale comment for struct qede_agg_info::buffer to reflect its current usage.

Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

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.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

—

No EPSS score.

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

7.5

High · 2 source(s)

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).
The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
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	≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < e2214e2793154b745436e46c6a9a7985d9b3781d≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < dd8bc0a9d87d2b048711edd17ba7286432edd285≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < fa7c9bd2c4a8de167e2fb32968ca4d91dd774375≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < a5e1fdc126ab337d601d1a00cc4b47910679d005≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < 7f911e208b3ca2c76d9f2bbba1f54b9403568c10≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < 2a952fb1b20d83e83ca852773e6188511f7d2191≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < f5c8619ccbd70102642120c4c6fda1c048a555fd≥ 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e and < 06aa3d26327f24edd039ff249672fdf6f2ba5695 and 1 more version 4.18	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

High

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
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	3.9	3.6	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.5	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.5
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Sep 11, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

8 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd8bc0a9d87d2b048711edd17ba7286432edd285
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2214e2793154b745436e46c6a9a7985d9b3781d
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a952fb1b20d83e83ca852773e6188511f7d2191
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f911e208b3ca2c76d9f2bbba1f54b9403568c10
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5e1fdc126ab337d601d1a00cc4b47910679d005
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/fa7c9bd2c4a8de167e2fb32968ca4d91dd774375
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5c8619ccbd70102642120c4c6fda1c048a555fd
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/06aa3d26327f24edd039ff249672fdf6f2ba5695
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 14h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 14h
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 FIRST EPSS score.
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-2026-89511 is "qede: Fix NULL pointer dereference in TPA fragment processing", 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 7.5 describes technical severity. 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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