CVE-2024-26858

Kernel crash via reordered PTP metadata tracking

Published Apr 17, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026

A NULL pointer dereference in the mlx5e Ethernet driver in Linux kernel 6.7 allows local users to crash the kernel via PTP transmit activity. Compiler or CPU reordering can add a transmit submission to the tracking list before mlx5e_ptp_metadata_map_put populates metadata_map, so NAPI polling later dereferences missing metadata. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and execution of the affected mlx5e PTP transmit path; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A NULL pointer dereference in the mlx5e Ethernet driver in Linux kernel 6.7 allows local users to crash the kernel via PTP transmit activity. Compiler or CPU reordering can add a transmit submission to the tracking list before mlx5e_ptp_metadata_map_put populates metadata_map, so NAPI polling later dereferences missing metadata. Reachability requires local low-privileged access and execution of the affected mlx5e PTP transmit path; the documented consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-26858
Published
Apr 17, 2024
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4d510506b46504664eacf8a44a9e8f3e54c137b8 <d1f71615dbb305f14f3b756cce015d70d8667549
  2. Affected versionversion=6.5.13 <6.6
  3. Affected versionversion=6.6.3 <6.6.22
  4. Affected versionversion=6.7
  5. Affected versionversion=7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167 <936ef086161ab89a7f38f7a0761d6a3063c3277e
  6. Affected versionversion=7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167 <b7cf07586c40f926063d4d09f7de28ff82f62b2a
  7. Affected versionversion=a9d6c0c5a6bd9ca88e964f8843ea41bc085de866

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4d510506b46504664eacf8a44a9e8f3e54c137b8 <d1f71615dbb305f14f3b756cce015d70d8667549; version=6.5.13 <6.6; version=6.6.3 <6.6.22; version=6.7; version=7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167 <936ef086161ab89a7f38f7a0761d6a3063c3277e; version=7e3f3ba97e6cc6fce5bf62df2ca06c8e59040167 <b7cf07586c40f926063d4d09f7de28ff82f62b2a; version=a9d6c0c5a6bd9ca88e964f8843ea41bc085de866

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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