published August 10, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bnxt_en: Handle partially initialized auxiliary devices
bnxt_aux_devices_init() calls auxiliary_device_init() before all fields
used by bnxt_aux_dev_release() are initialized. After
auxiliary_device_init() succeeds, later errors must unwind with
auxiliary_device_uninit(), which invokes the release callback.
The release callback assumes that aux_priv->id, aux_priv->edev,
edev->net and edev->ulp_tbl are all populated. If allocation fails
after auxiliary_device_init(), the release path can otherwise dereference
or clear partially initialized state.
Allocate and attach the bnxt_en_dev and ULP table before calling
auxiliary_device_init(), so the release callback only sees a fully
initialized auxiliary private object. If auxiliary_device_init() itself
fails, free those allocations directly because device_initialize() has not
run and the release callback will not be invoked.
This issue was found by a static analysis checker and confirmed by manual
source review.