CVE-2026-72341: Linux kernel · net/mlx5e: Fix publication race for priv->channel_stats[]
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · fixed in acd34d24342a28794e706ce8191ca6c3114a38ae : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 21:27 UTC
Rated High by Threat Radar's AI analysis · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in acd34d24342a28794e706ce8191ca6c3114a38ae, 268869794170af37727816ad02051808adb9c9c3, 815515ec68f527ca755cb1e2c1ff9148f6b3ea56 +2
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. The patch introduces memory barrier helpers to ensure proper publication ordering of channel_stats[] entries and stats_nch increments. Users should upgrade to a fixed Linux kernel version containing the commits identified (e.g., those with hashes acd34d24342a28794e706ce8191ca6c3114a38ae and others listed). No additional mitigation steps are indicated or required.
Description
CVE-2026-72341 is a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5e network driver affecting version 5.17. The issue arises from a lack of memory barriers when publishing new entries to priv->channel_stats[] and incrementing priv->stats_nch, which can cause concurrent readers on weakly-ordered architectures to dereference NULL pointers. This has been observed on ARM64 BlueField-3 DPUs, leading to kernel NULL pointer dereferences during network device statistics queries. The vulnerability is fixed by introducing memory barrier helpers to ensure proper ordering of these updates.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/268869794170af37727816ad02051808adb9c9c3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/acd34d24342a28794e706ce8191ca6c3114a38ae (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c7e3755abf663f033de24f917b77685e9543045 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/815515ec68f527ca755cb1e2c1ff9148f6b3ea56 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a799714e8ca0bce9ea40694f49914cf1adbbaa9 (opens in a new tab)