VulnerabilityPublished 11 Sep 2026Updated 5 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-89582: Linux kernel · bnx2x: fix double free in bnx2x_init_firmware() error path

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

Not known to be exploited.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Sep 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-5.5 – 7.0.0-38.38 23 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-aws`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1002.2 – 7.0.0-1014.14 15 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1003.3 – 7.0.0-1017.17 15 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fde`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 7.0.0-1003.3 – 7.0.0-1016.16 9 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcp`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 6.17.0-1002.2 – 7.0.0-1014.14 13 affected builds	Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gke`pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resolute`Other threats	Affected 7.0.0-1002.3 – 7.0.0-1008.9 6 affected builds	Fixed in–

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

AI-suggested

A fix is available that sets the pointers to NULL after freeing them in the error path of bnx2x_init_firmware(). Users should update to a Linux kernel version that includes this fix. No additional mitigation is indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

A double free vulnerability was identified and fixed in the Linux kernel's bnx2x driver within the bnx2x_init_firmware() function. The issue occurs because pointers are freed twice due to missing NULL assignments after the first free, leading to potential unsafe memory operations during cleanup. This vulnerability affects specific Linux kernel versions listed and has been resolved by setting pointers to NULL after freeing them in the error path.

Impact

The double free vulnerability could lead to undefined behavior such as memory corruption or kernel crashes if the error path in bnx2x_init_firmware() is triggered and bnx2x_release_firmware() is called afterward. This could affect system stability and potentially be leveraged for denial of service or other impacts depending on kernel usage and environment.

Summary

The Linux kernel's bnx2x driver had a double free vulnerability in the bnx2x_init_firmware() function. Specifically, the function frees three pointers (bp->init_ops, bp->init_data, and bp->init_ops_offsets) in its error path without setting them to NULL. Later, the cleanup function bnx2x_release_firmware() unconditionally frees the same pointers, causing a double free if the error path is taken and release_firmware is called subsequently. The fix involves setting these pointers to NULL after freeing them in the error path, ensuring that subsequent frees on NULL pointers are safe no-ops.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Oct 2026, 02:27 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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