CVE-2026-68291 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
idpf: fix max_vport related crash on allocation error during init
Set adapter->max_vports only after successful allocation of vports, netdevs and vport_config buffers. This fixes possible crashes on reset or rmmod, following failed allocation on init
[ 305.981402] idpf 0000:83:00.0: enabling device (0100 -> 0102)
[ 305.994464] idpf 0000:83:00.0: Device HW Reset initiated
[ 320.416872] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
[ 320.416918] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
[ 320.416942] #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
[ 320.416963] PGD 2099657067 P4D 0
[ 320.416983] Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
... [ 320.417093] RIP: 0010:idpf_remove+0x118/0x200 [idpf]
[ 320.417130] Code: 8b bb 98 09 00 00 e8 17 0f 5b e5 48 8b bb e8 08 00 00 e8 0b 0f 5b e5 66 83 bb 28 06 00 00 00 48 8b bb 20 06 00 00 74 49 31 ed <48> 8b 04 ef 48 85 c0 74 2f 48 8b 78 20 e8 66 58 91 e5 48 8b 83 20
[ 320.417183] RSP: 0018:ff7322212903fdb8 EFLAGS: 00010246
[ 320.417205] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ff4463de40300000 RCX: ff7322212903fd4c
[ 320.417228] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: ffffffffa7f7d100 RDI: 0000000000000000
[ 320.417250] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 0000000000000000
[ 320.417272] R10: 0000000000000001 R11: ff4463de3a638f58 R12: ff4463be89ac7000
[ 320.417294] R13: ff4463be89ac7198 R14: ff4463be94fc7198 R15: ffffffffc0f10f20
[ 320.417317] FS: 00007f963c0e6740(0000) GS:ff4463fdd65d8000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[ 320.417342] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[ 320.417362] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 00000020ba674002 CR4: 0000000000773ef0
[ 320.417385] PKRU: 55555554
[ 320.417398] Call Trace:
[ 320.417412] <TASK>
[ 320.417429] pci_device_remove+0x42/0xb0
[ 320.417459] device_release_driver_internal+0x1a9/0x210
[ 320.417492] driver_detach+0x4b/0x90
[ 320.417516] bus_remove_driver+0x70/0x100
[ 320.417539] pci_unregister_driver+0x2e/0xb0
[ 320.417564] __do_sys_delete_module.constprop.0+0x190/0x2f0
[ 320.417592] ? kmem_cache_free+0x31e/0x550
[ 320.417619] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0xde/0x190
[ 320.417644] ? do_syscall_64+0x38/0x6b0
[ 320.417665] do_syscall_64+0xc8/0x6b0
[ 320.417683] ? clear_bhb_loop+0x30/0x80
[ 320.417706] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
[ 320.417727] RIP: 0033:0x7f963bb30beb
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2026
The vulnerability resides in the Intel Data Plane Forwarding (idpf) driver within the Linux kernel, specifically concerning the management of virtual port resources during device initialization and cleanup. The issue manifests when a failure occurs during allocation of critical components such as vports, netdevs, or vport_config buffers. The root cause stems from an improper sequencing of operations where the adapter's max_vports field is set before these allocations are confirmed successful. This design flaw creates a scenario where subsequent cleanup routines attempt to access memory locations that were never properly initialized, leading to a kernel NULL pointer dereference.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-476, which denotes a Null Pointer Dereference, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1543.003 for privilege escalation through kernel module manipulation. The crash occurs during either device reset or module removal operations, as evidenced by the kernel log showing the idpf_remove function being invoked. When the driver attempts to clean up resources after an initialization failure, it accesses adapter->max_vports without ensuring that all prerequisite allocations have succeeded, resulting in a supervisor read access violation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability. A malicious actor could potentially exploit this condition to cause denial of service by triggering repeated initialization failures followed by kernel crashes. In production environments with high availability requirements, such a crash could lead to system downtime and data loss. The vulnerability particularly affects systems utilizing Intel Ethernet Network Adapters that implement the idpf driver architecture, making it relevant for enterprise networking infrastructure where these devices are commonly deployed.
Mitigation strategies must focus on proper resource management and defensive programming practices within the driver code. The fix implemented ensures that adapter->max_vports is only set following successful allocation of all dependent resources, preventing premature initialization that leads to invalid memory access patterns. Additionally, system administrators should ensure timely kernel updates containing this patch, particularly in environments where idpf drivers are actively used. Monitoring for frequent device resets or module reloads can serve as an early warning indicator of potential exploitation attempts, while implementing proper resource isolation and memory protection mechanisms can further reduce the attack surface associated with such kernel-level vulnerabilities.