CVE-2026-72060 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/15/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: ethernet: ti: icssg: guard PA stat lookups
icssg_ndo_get_stats64() unconditionally calls emac_get_stat_by_name() with FW PA stat names regardless of whether the PA stats block is present on the hardware. emac_get_stat_by_name() already guards the PA stats lookup with `if (emac->prueth->pa_stats)`; when that pointer is NULL the lookup falls through to netdev_err() and returns -EINVAL. Because ndo_get_stats64 is polled regularly by the networking stack this produces thousands of log entries of the form:
icssg-prueth icssg1-eth end0: Invalid stats FW_RX_ERROR
A secondary consequence is that the int(-EINVAL) return value is implicitly widened to a near-ULLONG_MAX unsigned value when accumulated into the __u64 fields of rtnl_link_stats64, silently corrupting the rx_errors, rx_dropped and tx_dropped counters reported by `ip -s link`.
Every other PA-aware code path in the driver is already guarded with the same `if (emac->prueth->pa_stats)` check. Apply the same guard here.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2026
This vulnerability resides within the Linux kernel's network driver subsystem, specifically affecting the ti icssg ethernet driver implementation. The issue manifests as a logic flaw in the icssg_ndo_get_stats64() function which performs unconditional calls to emac_get_stat_by_name() with firmware PA stat names without first verifying the presence of the PA stats block on the hardware. This represents a classic case of inadequate input validation and conditional execution control, aligning with CWE-472 Unpredictable Behavior in Security Checks. The root cause stems from inconsistent defensive programming practices within the same driver codebase where other PA-aware functions properly implement the guard condition while this particular function fails to do so.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it creates a persistent logging flood that can overwhelm system resources and degrade performance. The networking stack regularly polls the ndo_get_stats64 function causing thousands of error messages to be generated per second, with entries like "icssg-prueth icssg1-eth end0: Invalid stats FW_RX_ERROR" appearing in kernel logs. This logging overhead can mask genuine errors and consume considerable storage space on embedded systems where such resources are limited. Additionally, the vulnerability creates a silent data corruption scenario where the negative error return value of -EINVAL is implicitly converted to an unsigned 64-bit integer with near-ULLONG_MAX value during accumulation into rtnl_link_stats64 structure fields. This conversion corrupts critical counters including rx_errors, rx_dropped, and tx_dropped, leading to inaccurate network performance monitoring and potentially masking real network issues.
The fix implements a defensive programming approach by applying the same guard condition that already exists in other PA-aware code paths within the driver. This solution ensures that emac_get_stat_by_name() is only called when the pa_stats pointer is valid, preventing both the excessive logging behavior and the data corruption issue. The mitigation follows established security principles of input validation and conditional execution, addressing the vulnerability at its source rather than attempting to patch symptoms. This approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1562.001 - Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools, by preventing the erroneous behavior that could lead to system instability. The fix maintains backward compatibility while ensuring proper error handling and resource management, demonstrating the importance of consistent defensive programming practices throughout driver codebases. The solution specifically addresses the inconsistency between different code paths in the same driver module, which is a common pattern in complex kernel subsystems where oversight in security checks can lead to significant operational impacts.