CVE-2026-97962: Linux kernel · net/mlx5e: Move representor vnic reporter to eswitch devlink port
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
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.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| 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 moves the representor vnic reporter lifecycle management to properly serialized devlink port register/unregister paths. Users should apply the updated Linux kernel versions that include this fix to prevent the kernel warning and potential instability.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5e network driver was resolved by moving the representor vnic health reporter lifecycle management to the eswitch devlink port register/unregister paths. Previously, the reporter was created and destroyed along the representor netdev load/unload path without proper serialization, causing a kernel warning and potential instability during driver unbind. The fix ensures proper serialization by using the devlink instance lock and stores the reporter handle on mlx5_devlink_port.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97962 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97962 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcaba72c85c14fe7393a59d61695941e6ccbd7d7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1fcff9b39bac188ef62a77ebd176484be928ec2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f26a5e8040b4957ef4dbdfcde6cc7ba2db53937 (opens in a new tab)