CVE-2024-42282
MediumCVSS 5.5Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk8th percentile - higher than 8% of all known CVEs
Summary
In the Linux kernel, in the MediaTek network driver, a potential NULL pointer dereference in dummy net_device handling was fixed. The freeing of the dummy device was moved from mtk_free_dev() to mtk_remove(). Previously, if alloc_netdev_dummy() failed in mtk_probe(), dummy_dev was NULL, and the error path called free_netdev() on an unallocated pointer, potentially causing a NULL pointer dereference.
Risk Assessment
Potential system crashes or hangs due to NULL pointer dereference in the MediaTek network driver, leading to system instability.
Recommendation
Update the Linux kernel to a version containing this fix to avoid potential crashes related to null pointers.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
See all- CVE-2026-98048Unknown
In the Linux kernel's BPF subsystem, mark_fastcall_pattern_for_call() must ensure that a matched "spill; call; fill" instruction series is not interrupted by a jump. Otherwise the rewrite applied by bpf_remove_fastcall_spills_fills() is unsound. The fix records instructions targeted by jumps in insn_aux_data[*].jump_target and uses this flag to stop growing a pattern.
- CVE-2026-98047Unknown
In the Linux kernel's BPF subsystem, in_rbtree_lock_required_cb() only checks the innermost verifier frame, so rbtree callback restrictions disappear in a nested static subprogram call frame. The subprogram can unlock the tree, remove and drop the node being compared, then relock, leading to freed memory being linked into the tree.
- CVE-2026-98045Unknown
In the Linux kernel, a BPF verifier vulnerability affects stack helpers that may block on filesystem reads (e.g., resolving build IDs) but were not marked as sleepable. The verifier could still allow these helpers from non-sleepable regions such as RCU or preemption-disabled sections.
- CVE-2026-98044Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier mishandled legacy packet-load instructions (BPF_LD_ABS/BPF_LD_IND) reached from callbacks, triggering a verifier bug warning and an -EFAULT on BPF_PROG_LOAD. A privileged program loader could trigger this issue.
- CVE-2026-98043Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier incorrectly inferred that a pointer with an unbounded offset is non-NULL based solely on its type. As a result, a BPF program could pass verification while a NULL pointer dereference occurred at runtime.
- CVE-2026-98042Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier could resurrect a scalar id dropped by collect_linked_regs() because snapshots of compared registers were taken before linked registers were collected. This could lead to range inconsistencies and precision propagation issues.
- CVE-2026-98041High
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier incorrectly predicted the outcome of pointer vs zero comparisons in JMP32 instructions, failing to distinguish BPF_JMP from BPF_JMP32 comparisons. This led to incorrect inference that a jump is always taken.
- CVE-2026-98040Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier did not mark the zero register as precise for a register-form NULL check. As a result, one path was pruned and the program could dereference a zero pointer at runtime.
- CVE-2026-98039Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier did not require the MEM_PERCPU flag for stores to percpu kptr fields, accepting both plain bpf_obj_new() allocations and kernel pointers. This could lead to arbitrary kernel read/write or invalid address relocation.
- CVE-2026-98038Unknown
In the Linux kernel, the BPF verifier incorrectly classified borrowed RCU kptr references as owning references, thus not requiring a NULL check. At runtime refcount_inc_not_zero() could return NULL while the verifier treated the result as non-NULL.
Original NVD description (English source)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: mediatek: Fix potential NULL pointer dereference in dummy net_device handling Move the freeing of the dummy net_device from mtk_free_dev() to mtk_remove(). Previously, if alloc_netdev_dummy() failed in mtk_probe(), eth->dummy_dev would be NULL. The error path would then call mtk_free_dev(), which in turn called free_netdev() assuming dummy_dev was allocated (but it was not), potentially causing a NULL pointer dereference. By moving free_netdev() to mtk_remove(), we ensure it's only called when mtk_probe() has succeeded and dummy_dev is fully allocated. This addresses a potential NULL pointer dereference detected by Smatch[1].
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS

