In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: fw_tracer, return NULL on create error Tracer creation can fail by… (CVE-2026-74717)
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5 driver related to firmware tracer creation has been resolved. The issue arises because the tracer creation function can return either NULL or ERR_PTR on failure, but the return value is stored without proper checks. This leads to a kernel crash when the core dump logic dereferences an ERR_PTR value. The fix standardizes failure returns to NULL, simplifying error handling and preventing crashes.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The Linux kernel mlx5 driver contained a vulnerability where the firmware tracer creation function could fail by returning either NULL or ERR_PTR. The returned value was stored without verifying whether it was an ERR_PTR, and users treated ERR_PTR and NULL equivalently. This caused a crash in the core dump logic due to dereferencing an ERR_PTR pointer. The vulnerability was addressed by modifying the tracer creation function to return NULL exclusively on failure, ensuring callers only need to check for NULL and preventing kernel panics.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause a kernel panic due to improper handling of error pointers in the mlx5 firmware tracer creation logic. This results in a denial of service via system crash. There is no indication of privilege escalation or data corruption beyond the crash.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to ensure the firmware tracer creation function returns NULL on failure only, preventing kernel crashes caused by dereferencing ERR_PTR. Users should update to the fixed kernel version once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed; check the official Linux kernel advisories or vendor updates for the fixed version.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: fw_tracer, return NULL on create error Tracer creation can fail by… (CVE-2026-74717)
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5 driver related to firmware tracer creation has been resolved. The issue arises because the tracer creation function can return either NULL or ERR_PTR on failure, but the return value is stored without proper checks. This leads to a kernel crash when the core dump logic dereferences an ERR_PTR value. The fix standardizes failure returns to NULL, simplifying error handling and preventing crashes.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The Linux kernel mlx5 driver contained a vulnerability where the firmware tracer creation function could fail by returning either NULL or ERR_PTR. The returned value was stored without verifying whether it was an ERR_PTR, and users treated ERR_PTR and NULL equivalently. This caused a crash in the core dump logic due to dereferencing an ERR_PTR pointer. The vulnerability was addressed by modifying the tracer creation function to return NULL exclusively on failure, ensuring callers only need to check for NULL and preventing kernel panics.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability can cause a kernel panic due to improper handling of error pointers in the mlx5 firmware tracer creation logic. This results in a denial of service via system crash. There is no indication of privilege escalation or data corruption beyond the crash.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to ensure the firmware tracer creation function returns NULL on failure only, preventing kernel crashes caused by dereferencing ERR_PTR. Users should update to the fixed kernel version once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed; check the official Linux kernel advisories or vendor updates for the fixed version.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-g47x-7cg4-hh99
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2026-74717"]
- Ecosystems
- []
- Database Specific Severity
- null
- Cvss Version
- null
Threat ID: 6a8a27f0acd9273b499bc6ec
Added to database: 08/22/2026, 22:51:28 UTC
Last enriched: 08/23/2026, 00:55:00 UTC
Last updated: 08/23/2026, 02:32:11 UTC
Views: 2
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