CVE-2026-53234

What the bug is

The driver was using devm_register_netdev() which causes unregister_netdev() to be deferred until the devres cleanup phase, which runs after emac_remove() returns. This creates a use-after-free window where: 1. emac_remove() is called, which tears down hardware (cancels work, detaches modules, unregisters from MAL) 2. emac_remove() returns 3. devres cleanup runs and finally calls unregister_netdev() During step 3, the network stack might still process packets, triggering emac_irq(), emac_poll(), or other handlers that access now-freed hardware resources (dev->emacp, dev->mal, etc.). Fix this by replacing devm_register_netdev() with manual register_netdev() and calling unregister_netdev() at the beginning of emac_remove(), before any hardware teardown. This ensures the network device is fully stopped and unregistered before hardware resources are released. The change is safe because: - dev->ndev is assigned very early in probe (before any error paths that could bypass emac_remove) - platform_set_drvdata() is only called after successful registration, so emac_remove() only runs for fully registered devices - unregister_netdev() is idempotent and safe to call on any registered device

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

drivers/net/ethernet/ibm/emac/core.c

What this is

NETWORKING DRIVERSMAINTAINERS section matched on drivers/net/ · netdev@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Kernel module

none to look for. The file would have gone into ibm_emac, and Debian does not compile it into that module, so finding ibm_emac in lsmod would say nothing about this CVE.

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_ETHERNET|CONFIG_IBM_EMAC|CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_IBM' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian does not build this code. In 4 releases below, every kernel flavour Debian publishes has the switch off, so the vulnerable file is compiled into no kernel binary Debian ships.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sidn

n

not enabled on any flavour - this release does not build the code

Build switches

CONFIG_ETHERNET, CONFIG_IBM_EMAC, CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_IBM

Reads as

all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-06-25 (4 months ago)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

0.13%, higher than 2.4% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

unimportantsource

Subsystem

drivers/net

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
6.12	6.12.94	cf8e14db93ea
6.12	6.18.36	c09c2e236eef
6.12	7.0.13	c12584cd6078
6.12	7.1	a0130d682222