CVE-2026-97973: net: macb: destroy the phylink instance on the probe error path
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 0/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.17% (FIRST EPSS).
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 0112aa02c7847314be599d68783d50c7e228a694, 23b6a44ffea1c54a4232aa86ee470b21422a8cc5, 7d059f390750152b9bd69df934198651b94fc26d; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.158.1-1.
- Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 0112aa02c7847314be599d68783d50c7e228a694, 23b6a44ffea1c54a4232aa86ee470b21422a8cc5, 7d059f390750152b9bd69df934198651b94fc26d; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.158.1-1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: macb: destroy the phylink instance on the probe error path macb_mii_init() creates a phylink instance on both of its success paths, but the probe unwind frees the netdev without destroying it, so a failing macb_alloc_tieoff() or register_netdev() leaks the instance. Destroy it at err_out_unregister_mdio, which is only reachable once macb_mii_init() has succeeded, so bp->phylink is valid there.
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 19, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 6th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
0
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 0 / 40 · —
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
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Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 5.5affected
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before 0112aa02c7847314be599d68783d50c7e228a694affected · git
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before c1de1e7b51ab2531f564b39b51998c3d71caccd7affected · git
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before 23b6a44ffea1c54a4232aa86ee470b21422a8cc5affected · git
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before e92a45b872b035c79acde8dd0da096a72b61ff2faffected · git
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before 8558e3195664113c14a4d8fcf221b3caff41fed1affected · git
- 7897b071ac3b45a5788d084fc7f8a8ee9e5f07f0 and later · before 7d059f390750152b9bd69df934198651b94fc26daffected · git
- before 5.5not affected · semver
- 6.1.189 and later · up to and including 6.1.*not affected · semver
- 6.6.158 and later · up to and including 6.6.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.190-1 | 6.1.190-1 |
| Debian:12 | linux-6.12 | before 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.111-1 | 6.12.111-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 7.2.7-1 | 7.2.7-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-74705udp: fix potential use-after-free in tunnel segmentation40Plan
- CVE-2026-74612veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment40Plan
- CVE-2026-74475vxlan: use neigh_ha_snapshot() in route_shortcircuit()40Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-97971Sep 25, 2026 · nstree: check listing permission before taking a namespace reference31Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-97972Sep 25, 2026 · net: macb: put the "mdio" child node reference on success0Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-97974Sep 25, 2026 · ipv6: null-check fib6_node before accessing in __ip6_del_rt_siblings()0Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 0112aa02c7847314be599d68783d50c7e228a694 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 23b6a44ffea1c54a4232aa86ee470b21422a8cc5 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 7d059f390750152b9bd69df934198651b94fc26d | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 8558e3195664113c14a4d8fcf221b3caff41fed1 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | c1de1e7b51ab2531f564b39b51998c3d71caccd7 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | e92a45b872b035c79acde8dd0da096a72b61ff2f | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 6.6.158.1-1 · Release Notes | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.190-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux | 6.12.111-1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux-6.12 | 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
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Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-26-1184 · Sep 28, 2026(Linux Kernel Güvenlik Bildirimi)
Technical details
No CVSS vector for this record, so attack conditions can't be derived.
Weakness class (CWE)
—
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/23b6a44ffea1c54a4232aa86ee470b21422a8cc5
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d059f390750152b9bd69df934198651b94fc26d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8558e3195664113c14a4d8fcf221b3caff41fed1
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1de1e7b51ab2531f564b39b51998c3d71caccd7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e92a45b872b035c79acde8dd0da096a72b61ff2f
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.