High severity · published Sep 11, 2026
CVE-2026-89511
qede: Fix NULL pointer dereference in TPA fragment processing
7.5
CVSS
0.7%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
qede: Fix NULL pointer dereference in TPA fragment processing
Under memory pressure, the qede driver encounters NULL pointer
dereferences when processing TPA continuation fragments.
Commit 8a8633978b84 ("qede: Add build_skb() support.") accidentally
dropped the assignment of tpa_info->buffer.data in qede_tpa_start().
When memory pressure causes an SKB allocation failure in qede_tpa_start(),
the driver sets tpa_start_fail = true and attempts to recycle the physical
page later in qede_tpa_end() via qede_reuse_page(). However, because
buffer.data was left uninitialized (NULL), qede_reuse_page() pushes a
"ghost" BD (valid DMA mapping but NULL data pointer) back into the
active Rx ring.
The next time the hardware uses this ring slot, it passes a NULL page
to qede_fill_frag_skb(), causing a kernel panic.
Example crash from production system:
BUG: unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at 0x8
RIP: qede_fill_frag_skb+0x96/0x430 [qede]
Call Trace:
qede_rx_int+0xb06/0x1de0
qede_poll+0x2f4/0x6c0
__napi_poll+0x2d/0x130
Fix the root cause by restoring the tpa_info->buffer.data assignment
in qede_tpa_start(), ensuring valid pages are correctly tracked and
recycled. Additionally, update the stale comment for
struct qede_agg_info::buffer to reflect its current usage.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.7% · higher than 53% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before e2214e2793154b745436e46c6a9a7985d9b3781d; 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before dd8bc0a9d87d2b048711edd17ba7286432edd285; 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before fa7c9bd2c4a8de167e2fb32968ca4d91dd774375; 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before a5e1fdc126ab337d601d1a00cc4b47910679d005; 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before 7f911e208b3ca2c76d9f2bbba1f54b9403568c10; 8a8633978b842c88fbcfe00d4e5dde96048f630e before 2a952fb1b20d83e83ca852773e6188511f7d2191; +3 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89511
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-89511
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06aa3d26327f24edd039ff249672fdf6f2ba5695
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a952fb1b20d83e83ca852773e6188511f7d2191
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f911e208b3ca2c76d9f2bbba1f54b9403568c10
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5e1fdc126ab337d601d1a00cc4b47910679d005
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd8bc0a9d87d2b048711edd17ba7286432edd285
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2214e2793154b745436e46c6a9a7985d9b3781d
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