Linux Kernel Vulnerability in Intel 10G Adapters Mailbox API

CVE-2025-40104

What is CVE-2025-40104?

A vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's handling of mailbox API for Intel's 10G adapters, particularly affecting the ixgbevf driver. Backward compatibility issues arose from the introduction of API version 1.4, which added specific features like IPSec support that were not compatible with other Intel 10G drivers. The subsequent updates to the mailbox communication between Physical Function (PF) and Virtual Function (VF) drivers exacerbated the issue by failing to provide necessary feature negotiation capabilities, compromising system stability. The latest fixes aim to reintroduce a mechanism for negotiating supported features within new API revisions, enabling better compatibility and future feature extensions.

References