CVE-2026-68139

Host panic via mlx5e devcom initialization race

Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 10, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel mlx5e driver allows local users to panic the host during PCIe DPC recovery. The MPV registration path publishes mlx5e private data before mlx5e_devcom_init_mpv() stores priv->devcom, so a concurrent master-up event calls mlx5_devcom_comp_set_ready() through a NULL peer backpointer. Triggering requires local low-privileged access, PCIe containment recovery, RDMA multiport affiliation replay, and the affected mlx5 configuration; the bounded consequence is a kernel panic.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel mlx5e driver allows local users to panic the host during PCIe DPC recovery. The MPV registration path publishes mlx5e private data before mlx5e_devcom_init_mpv() stores priv->devcom, so a concurrent master-up event calls mlx5_devcom_comp_set_ready() through a NULL peer backpointer. Triggering requires local low-privileged access, PCIe containment recovery, RDMA multiport affiliation replay, and the affected mlx5 configuration; the bounded consequence is a kernel panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-68139
Published
Aug 10, 2026
Updated
Aug 10, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 10, 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=6.7
  2. Affected versionversion=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <40f9a124ebbe0d60fe165fb3f87515c35b2d72f5
  3. Affected versionversion=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <a60c81f168c9fe4f5d84302d1e32b717f5a8a933
  4. Affected versionversion=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <c698b2735613f1f35c55688bd2252f75f31c49ad
  5. Affected versionversion=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <e32649b4bad90a6216d8e93cd7dd050af8ac9740

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.7; version=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <40f9a124ebbe0d60fe165fb3f87515c35b2d72f5; version=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <a60c81f168c9fe4f5d84302d1e32b717f5a8a933; version=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <c698b2735613f1f35c55688bd2252f75f31c49ad; version=bf11485f8419f90ffaa3804fd01d8468fcc56e23 <e32649b4bad90a6216d8e93cd7dd050af8ac9740

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.7Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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