VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-97571: Linux kernel · bnxt_en: Propagate TPA buffer allocation failures in bnxt_queue_mem_alloc()

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in d7db2e4953e4626339fd0075564a3e447650d37b : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated Medium 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 d7db2e4953e4626339fd0075564a3e447650d37b, c8050386a2209b2a474c1eb4bd1574dc19129bfb, b814dfbfeb0a68c9a52073f2caa05a2d5247a329 +2

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 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

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=6.12.20 <6.12.112	Fixed in d7db2e4953e4626339fd0075564a3e447650d37b c8050386a2209b2a474c1eb4bd1574dc19129bfb b814dfbfeb0a68c9a52073f2caa05a2d5247a329 37e08dc821a57fe0592c917486b638caa888b46d 6.12.112
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.13	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available in Linux kernel version 6.12.112 and later. Users should upgrade to version 6.12.112 or apply the corresponding patches to ensure proper error handling in bnxt_queue_mem_alloc().

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's bnxt_en driver involves improper handling of buffer allocation failures in the bnxt_queue_mem_alloc() function. When bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data() fails to allocate memory, the failure is not properly propagated, leading to partially initialized receive rings. This can cause the hardware to use uninitialized slots with zero DMA addresses, potentially causing device malfunctions. The issue has been fixed by adding proper error checking and cleanup in the affected functions.

Impact

The vulnerability can cause the network device driver to hand a zero DMA address to the hardware due to uninitialized buffer slots. This may lead to device malfunctions or instability in network operations. There is no indication of remote code execution or privilege escalation. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.

Summary

The Linux kernel bnxt_en driver had a flaw where bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data() would return -ENOMEM on allocation failure, but bnxt_queue_mem_alloc() ignored this return value. This resulted in partially initialized rxr->rx_tpa[] entries with zeroed buffers. Since the hardware picks agg_id and bnxt_alloc_agg_idx maps it to a software index in rxr->rx_tpa[], an uninitialized slot with a zero DMA address could be selected, causing incorrect device behavior. The fix involves checking the return value of bnxt_alloc_one_tpa_info_data() and unwinding allocations to free ring buffers properly.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:41 UTC

Technical details

References

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