CVE-2026-98008 Affecting linux-6.12 package, versions <6.12.111-1~deb12u1


Severity

Recommended
low

Based on default assessment until relevant scores are available.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.17% (6th percentile)

Do your applications use this vulnerable package?

In a few clicks we can analyze your entire application and see what components are vulnerable in your application, and suggest you quick fixes.

Test your applications
  • Snyk IDSNYK-DEBIAN12-LINUX612-20506488
  • published5 Oct 2026
  • disclosed25 Sept 2026

Introduced: 25 Sep 2026

NewCVE-2026-98008  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Debian:12 linux-6.12 to version 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 or higher.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream linux-6.12 package and not the linux-6.12 package as distributed by Debian. See How to fix? for Debian:12 relevant fixed versions and status.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: macb: fix NULL pointer dereference on unbind with fixed-link

When the device tree describes a fixed-link and has no "mdio" child node, macb_mii_init() returns early without allocating the MDIO bus, leaving bp->mii_bus as NULL.

Two cleanup paths then dereference this NULL bus:

  1. On driver unbind, macb_remove() unconditionally calls mdiobus_unregister(bp->mii_bus), which oopses:

Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000000000004a8 pc : mdiobus_unregister+0x14/0xa4 lr : macb_remove+0x38/0xa4 Call trace: mdiobus_unregister+0x14/0xa4 (P) macb_remove+0x38/0xa4 platform_remove+0x20/0x30 device_release_driver_internal+0x1c8/0x224 unbind_store+0xb4/0xbc

  1. On the probe error path in macb_probe(), reached when macb_mii_init() has succeeded but a subsequent step fails, the err_out_unregister_mdio label runs the same unconditional cleanup.

mdiobus_unregister() and mdiobus_free() do not guard against a NULL bus, so guard the calls in both macb_remove() and the probe error path.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1