Medium 5.5Published Jul 24, 2026

CVE-2026-64228In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ethtool: phy: avoid NULL deref when PHY driver is unbound phydev->drv can become NULL while the phy_device is still attached t…

Updated under an hour ago (2026-10-19 08:00 UTC)

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No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.

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Exploited in the last 30 days

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ethtool: phy: avoid NULL deref when PHY driver is unbound phydev->drv can become NULL while the phy_device is still attached to its net_device, namely after the PHY driver is unbound via sysfs: echo <mdio_id> > /sys/bus/mdio_bus/drivers/<phy_drv>/unbind phy_remove() clears phydev->drv but doesn't call phy_detach(), so the phy_device stays in the link topology xarray and ethnl_req_get_phydev() still hands it back. ETHTOOL_MSG_PHY_GET then oopses on: rep_data->drvname = kstrdup(phydev->drv->name, GFP_KERNEL); drvname is already treated as optional by phy_reply_size(), phy_fill_reply() and phy_cleanup_data(), so just skip the allocation when there is no driver bound.

CVSS: 5.5 MEDIUM (v3.1, NVD)CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-476
Known exploited: Not in CISA's KEV catalog
EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days): Not loaded for this CVE
Assigned by: Not given
NVD analysis: Analyzed
Record last updated: Aug 13, 2026
First seen by InfoSec Signals: Oct 9, 2026

Affected products

Affected products

linux linux_kernel linux:linux_kernel	from 6.16 before 6.18.34; from 6.19 before 7.0.11; 7.1; 7.1; 7.1	NVD

References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17fe2381f967d353183f374a1c0181a6d194158cpatch, mitigation
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3586924625559e6f9876d726c80ff0a75f0d5849patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3adf69f8eb121a9128c2b0029efd050d3649153patch

The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.