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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-46857: Linux kernel · net/mlx5: Fix bridge mode operations when there are no VFs

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 6.8.0-1020.22~22.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 11:13 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
5.5Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
Patch
Available – fixed in 6.8.0-1020.22~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1020.23~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1019.21~22.04.1 +20
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 27 Sep 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-50.51
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-50.51
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1020.22
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1020.22
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1020.23
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1020.23
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1019.21
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1019.21
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1015.19
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1015.19
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkeoppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gkeop?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <6.8.0-1002.4
Fixed in
  • 6.8.0-1002.4

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Fix bridge mode operations when there are no VFs Currently, trying to set the bridge mode attribute when numvfs=0 leads to a crash: bridge link set dev eth2 hwmode vepa [ 168.967392] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000030 [...] [ 168.969989] RIP: 0010:mlx5_add_flow_rules+0x1f/0x300 [mlx5_core] [...] [ 168.976037] Call Trace: [ 168.976188] <TASK> [ 168.978620] _mlx5_eswitch_set_vepa_locked+0x113/0x230 [mlx5_core] [ 168.979074] mlx5_eswitch_set_vepa+0x7f/0xa0 [mlx5_core] [ 168.979471] rtnl_bridge_setlink+0xe9/0x1f0 [ 168.979714] rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x159/0x400 [ 168.980451] netlink_rcv_skb+0x54/0x100 [ 168.980675] netlink_unicast+0x241/0x360 [ 168.980918] netlink_sendmsg+0x1f6/0x430 [ 168.981162] ____sys_sendmsg+0x3bb/0x3f0 [ 168.982155] ___sys_sendmsg+0x88/0xd0 [ 168.985036] __sys_sendmsg+0x59/0xa0 [ 168.985477] do_syscall_64+0x79/0x150 [ 168.987273] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e [ 168.987773] RIP: 0033:0x7f8f7950f917 (esw->fdb_table.legacy.vepa_fdb is null) The bridge mode is only relevant when there are multiple functions per port. Therefore, prevent setting and getting this setting when there are no VFs. Note that after this change, there are no settings to change on the PF interface using `bridge link` when there are no VFs, so the interface no longer appears in the `bridge link` output.

References

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